AZ FILMMAKER
September/October 2013 January/February 2014
VOL.11 ISSUE ISSUE31 VOL.
STAYING POSITIVE In the Face of Rejection NANCY CRISS
A HORSE FOR SUMMER SEDONA SOAP OPERA
THE ROCKS Tips for Actors
EXTRA WORK
KIX BROOKS
AMBUSH
AT DARK CANYON
CONTENTS
AZ FILMMAKER AZ FILMMAKER 6
ARIZONA FILMMAKER MAGAZINE, LLC
STAYING POSITIVE IN THE FACE OF REJECTION
PUBLISHERS
8
David Sipmann Joseph D. Becker
EDITOR IN CHIEF
GET READY FOR AWARD SEASON
David Sipmann
18
AMBUSH AT DARK CANYON AN INTERVIEW WITH COUNTRY MUSIC STAR AND LEADING MAN KIX BROOKS
26
9
TACTICS & TRUTHS HOW TO SURVIVE FILM SCHOOL
I GOTTA DO WHAT? A GUIDE TO SELLING YOUR MOVIE PART 2
ART DIRECTOR Joseph D. Becker
CONTRIBUTORS (Alphabetical) Joseph D. Becker Jon Bonnell Shari K. Green Susan Cloud Hall Debbie Jennings Helen Stephenson Kel Stone II
MOVIE REVIEWS Bill Pierce
10
HOW TO MAKE A GREAT MOVIE IT’S SIMPLER THAN YOU THINK
28
RED ROCKS A SOAP OPERA SET IN SEDONA ARIZONA
24
BEING AN EXTRA AND HOW TO GET UPGRADED
12
A HORSE FOR SUMMER AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRECTOR
30
MOVIE REVIEW COWBOY ZOMBIE
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January/February 2014
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JOE’SCORNER
YOU CAN LEAD A HORSE TO WATER
BUT YOU CAN’T MAKE A FILMMAKER MAKE A GOOD FILM I like to think we’re providing good information on the tools, techniques, art and science of filmmaking. What I don’t know is the impact we’re having on the film community. I hope you’re reading the articles and applying what you learn. Here are some more resources for you. It’s up to you what you do with them. Remember, we do this for you. We hope you’ll make the best of it. Leave us some feedback. support SB1170 https://www.facebook.com/AZFilmNOW Arizona Filmmaker Magazine Online http://arizonafilmmakermagzine.com Arizona Filmmaker Magazine on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AZfilmmaker Arizona Film Festivals http://phoenix.gov/econdev/filmphx/filmfestivals.html Arizona Crew Notices https://www.facebook.com/groups/1401465983403954 Arizona Actors https://www.facebook.com/groups/201645389874585 Arizona Film Crews https://www.facebook.com/groups/arizonafilmmakers The Arizona L.A. Film Connection https://www.facebook.com/groups/308838632561482 Rebel Filmmaker AZ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebel-FilmmakerAZ/342909125168 Phoenix Independent Filmmakers Group https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Phoenix-Independent-FilmMakers-Group-PIFMG/235489330905 Filmmaker.com http://filmmaker.com Rebel Filmmaker AZ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebel-FilmmakerAZ/342909125168 Phoenix Independent Filmmakers Group https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Phoenix-Independent-FilmMakers-Group-PIFMG/235489330905 Film Riot http://revision3.com/filmriot No Film School http://nofilmschool.com Joseph D. Becker Art Director Arizona Filmmaker Magazine
TEN BIG REASONS ARIZONA NEEDS AN ARIZONA FILM OFFICE JOBS More production means more High Wage Jobs for a workforce across the state STATEWIDE ECONOMIC IMPACT Tucson and Phoenix facilitate, on average, over 100 projects a year that leave millions of dollars in their regions. With a state film office, other cities, counties and rural communities would also benefit. ROI: TAX REVENUE GENERATOR Nearly every state and local tax is paid by a film company while filming here – income taxes, sales taxes, hotel bed and rental car taxes, and more. SMALL BUSINESS While on location, film, TV and commercial productions spend much of their location budgets with local vendors. TOURISM A successful film or TV series can be the biggest billboard a state can have. OPEN FOR BUSINESS Without a state film office, Studios and Production companies assume Arizona is not open for business and go elsewhere. EDUCATION AND NETWORKING Film students at our state universities and community colleges would have more access to internships, jobs and vital connections to industry professionals. They may not have to leave the state to pursue careers RECESSION PROOF Film, TV and commercial production goes on even in a down economy. INDUSTRY WANTS TO BE HERE Arizona’s proximity to Los Angeles and the incredible diversity of our locations make Arizona a highly desirable place to film. REVIVES ARIZONA’S FILM LEGACY Arizona has a rich history in the film world. Let’s not let it end. From the Tucson Film Office
January/February 2014
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FORACTORS
Staying Positive in the Face of Rejection by Debbie Jennings
REJECTION. Eeks. Its a scary word, a negative word, and we all hate it. As an actor, its part of our culture unfortunately. So, how on earth do we keep going and stay positive? We audition and we get jobs. We audition and we get rejected. If you’re like the average actor, constantly going on auditions, for the most part, its a numbers game. There are several people going for the same part and depending on the talent and the number of great auditions performed, you will get rejected more than you will get hired. More often than not, you will hear nothing, which is horrible for us, but it’s just a fact in this business. The casting departments do not have time to contact everyone to let them know they have not been selected. So, what now? I was faced with this over the last couple of years, and then I noticed something: I sucked at auditioning. Once I am on set, I was great and I took direction well. Why could I not do this in the audition room? I knew I was having trouble because there were little things that were bothering me that I was always doing wrong. I always left kicking myself for them. I also noticed the same core of other women I was up against kept getting the part instead of me. This happened time and time again. Hmmmm. Maybe its time to re-evaluate ME!? I could have just slumped into a corner and gotten depressed and gave up hope and moped around or gave up entirely. Maybe the next time I auditioned I lost confidence (I did) and couldn’t perform. It was a vicious cycle I was falling into. Well, it’s just not my style to give up. I mean, other people were getting hired, why wasn’t I?
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There are 2 answers here. 1) Change your attitude about auditioning and you will stay positive every time, even if you don’t get the part, but staying positive and having fun is
part of the energy and the dynamic to getting the part. How do you do this? Well, you do this because you love to act, right? An audition is your opportunity to PERFORM! You enjoy performing! So just go in there and pretend you have already gotten the part and give it your best performance. You love the camera! Do your thing and have fun. As a working actor, auditioning is part of the practice that makes us good and gets us noticed, so just go in there with gusto, do your part and don’t focus on rejection - focus on the fact that RIGHT NOW you are doing something you love - performing! 2) Reality check here. How much training have you had? You see notices for training opportunities all the time have you taken advantage of some great classes and the opportunity to learn?
January/February 2014
What I have learned is that you never stop learning! The more I learn the more fun I have and the better I get at my craft. At the point I was having trouble and doubting myself last year, I looked back and realized I had some great group training and it was a good start to my career but not enough. Constant training in our craft is what makes us better. There were some little things still bothering me in the auditioning room so I asked my agent for some help. I told him I needed a good monologue and I felt it was time for some 1:1 training to help correct some other issues as well. He recommended someone, and I went every week for 3 months until I felt I had a handle on my issues. Am I done with training? Absolutely not, but here’s what happened. I land more parts in my auditions now, and that helps me stay positive. Am I perfect? No! Far from it, but I am much better. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. Make the choice to smile and stay positive and positive things will start to happen. All the best to you in your acting endeavors!
http://www.facebook.com/ DebbieJenningsActor http://twitter.com/ActressDeb http://www.imdb.com/name/ nm4824944/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 http://debbiejennings.biz/
January/February 2014
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AWARDSEASON
Get Ready for the NEXT Season of the Year! From the Prescott Film Festival Office by Helen Stephenson
For movie lovers across the world there is a very important season after the Holiday Season; and that’s Oscar® Season. Oscar® season kicks off early in the morning, (at least in Arizona) Thursday, January 16th when the nominees for the 86th Annual Academy Awards® are announced. Bookies will have pencils sharpened and ready to start betting the chalk on the odds. Movie goers will scramble to try and catch any of the films they didn’t see yet.
Each year the Prescott Film Festival is up with the chickens, (actually, we’re more likely to be awakened by Kit Foxes) to see that telecast and take detailed notes. After that it’s coffee and list-making time as volunteers go through all the nominated films; checking to see which ones didn’t play up here in the Central Arizona Highlands. Then phone calls and emails to distributors start as they work to bring any of the missing pieces of the Oscar® puzzle to their audience. February is Oscar® Month at PFF. The fest schedules as many films as they can get screening rights for. First priority is to get the films that never screened in the area. There are two theatres in Yavapai County; Harkins and the newly opened Picture Show Theatre. Neither cinema shows many art or foreign films. (Though kudos to Harkins for screening the hit indie from Mexico, Instructions not Included. With subtitles even!) Fast Forward to “An Evening at The Academy Awards,” March 2nd, 2014 at the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center in Prescott. PFF pulls out all the stops for this event. There will be a Red 8 AZ FILMMAKER
Carpet walk, audience members will be greeted by PFF’s own “Army Archer,” antique cars set up outside, photo opportunities and adult beverages and regular movie treats in the bars and snack bars, and live music in the lobby for all to enjoy. The live streaming is co-hosted by Prescott filmmaker and arts supporter Andrew Johnson Schmit and the Executive Director of the Prescott Film Festival, Helen Stephenson. They will be doing trivia contests and Oscar® Bingo during commercial breaks with free prizes all evening. There will also be a chance to win a Platinum Pass to the 5th Annual Prescott Film Festival July 23 – 27th with your own Oscar® Ballot.
FOREIGN FILM AWARDS
While the actual streaming of the awards show is free and open to the public, the film festival’s annual fundraiser will be happening just before the broadcast. (PFF is a 501 c 3 non-profit) The Pre-Oscar® Cocktail party is held upstairs in the YCPAC Director’s Loft. Tickets are $50 for the Cocktail Party and $100 for the VIP Experience. Pre-Oscar Cocktail Party guests and VIP’s will make their way past sparkling chandeliers and go upstairs to gorgeous Director’s Loft with stunning views of Granite Mountain and Thumb Butte. Both categories include 2 drink tickets and generous appetizers before the live streaming of the Academy Awards®. Pre-Oscar Cocktail Party guests will have reserved seats in the theatre. VIP Members will have seating upstairs in one of the college’s two beautiful newly remodeled VIP Suites, (8 seats per suite, complete with special snacks, a fridge, microwave and bottle of champagne,) personal waiters for each suite and an exclusive SWAG Bag.
IndieWire just released their predictions for what they consider to be the top 10 contenders.
January/February 2014
This year a record-breaking 76 films were submitted from across the world to vie for the Best Foreign Picture award. Those 76 films will be narrowed down to nine potential nominees, then winnowed down to the final five nominees. Foreign film submissions are chosen by a committee in each country. This is the first year Saudi Arabia, which does not have any commercial movie theatres, has entered a film, Wadjda. It is also directed by a woman, which could make an interesting story for the informationhungry media. Other countries submitting for the first time include Moldova and Montenegro, formerly part of Yugoslavia. Montenegro is entering for the first time as an independent country.
Amongst the ones to watch for; 1. Saudi Arabia - Wadjda, directed by Haifaa al-Mansour (Arabic) 2. Denmark - The Hunt, directed by Thomas Vinterberg (Danish) 3. Chile - Gloria, directed by Sebastian Lelio (Spanish) 4. Iran - The Past, directed by Asghar Farhadi (French, Persian) 5. Canada - Gabrielle, directed by Louise Archambault (French) 6. Australia - The Rocket, directed by Kim Mordaunt (Lao) 7. Singapore - Ilo Ilo, directed by Anthony Chen (Mandarin, Hokkien, English, Tagalog) 8. Italy - The Great Beauty, directed by Paolo Sorrentino (Italian) 9. Israel - Bethlehem, directed by Yuval Adler (Hebrew, Arabic) 10. Brazil - Neighbouring Sounds, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho (Portuguese, Mandarin)
FILMSTUDENTS
Tactics & Truths:
How to Survive Film School By Kel Stone II
This isn’t finger painting, it is war. This is the place where art is work, and your dreams are quite literally on the line. You can forge a future that few others dare to strive for. There is a catch though; you have to fight for it. If you’ve seen any blockbuster movie
in the last ten years, you can attest to the fact that the bar is set pretty high for the digital artist these days. For many, the best shot they will ever have at breaking into that world is a degree from a school that could readily be described by some as a soul shredding firing squad. Truthfully, it is worth the striving, and here are some tips that could get you through to the light at the end…
LIVE IT Welcome to the land of creativity on demand. You are going to see your thoughts become physical reality before you. This requires being shaped into an instrument capable of such creation. That is not a once a day thing. You have to live and breathe your craft every moment of every day. If you make it your entire lifestyle, you will succeed. Before you can get to that point you will have to do a lot of work for other people. There will be a day where you are just not at your best, and you have to dig deep and be competitively creative more on that day than any other. Most artists I know will be trying to improve on this point for the rest of their careers. STAY OPEN MINDED Throughout your career you will meet many people. Keep your ears and eyes open, and try to think objectively, yet open minded about the experiences that will inevitably come along. While you might have reams of directing chilling thrillers, hold on just a moment. You might just find
some of your classes or conversations awaken a previously unknown love for typography, or sound design, or even color theory. So, make sure to… COLLABORATE There will only be a few times in your life where everyone around you is reaching for the same goal. Everyone has their specific skillset, the thing that got them into the game. It doesn’t and won’t contain everything. There will be some things that you are just plain not good at, and that is okay. If you are amazing with the camera, but can’t light a set, there are ten people waiting in the wings to help you because they are amazing with lighting and want to show the world. Ask away. They will help you, and you’ll all get to graduation day together. Keep your motivation high and get those dreams.
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FILMPRODUCTION
WHAT MAKES A GREAT MOVIE Part 2 It’s Simpler Than You Think by Joseph D. Becker
ACTING Acting is one of those simple, but not easy professions. It’s an art, and a science. There are many approaches to acting, but the main thing is, it has to be believable. There are different styles of acting, which coincide with the different styles of films. I am mainly interested in Realistic Acting, or naturalistic drama, which is what you see in dramatic movies and TV shows. It’s a dramatic and realistic depiction of real life. This would include mannerisms and reactions, as well as dialogue. Other forms of acting include Epic Theater, Absurdism, and Improvisation. They all have their place. If you’re doing a comedy, realism isn’t near as important. But if you’re doing drama, you’d better be as real as possible, or you’ll lose your audience. Learn to act natural to the best of your ability. And then add character to your character. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT Characters have to have more than one dimension. Maybe he’s a tough guy who breaks necks for a living, but he has a young son whom he loves dearly. There are many dichotomies in life. The more you show about the character’s lief and motivations, the more real and relatable s/he will become to the audience. And, as I mentioned in part one, you DO want your audience to relate. Emotion is paramount in film. If your audience is not connecting with your characters, they will not feel their pain or care what happens to them. To engage your audience, you need to create characters they can care about.
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LIGHTING Poor lighting can kill a scene. It can be overlit, underlit, or just wrong, it will destroy the believability of the shot. If you’re shooting on green screen, make sure the shadows fall the same direction and length as in your background footage. Don’t light like a soap opera, with shadows going every direction. Hire someone who knows high key, low key, and dramatic lighting. Someone who knows the difference between hard light and soft light. Someone show knows lighting ratios so your shadows are not too dark or light. There is a huge difference
“Get your audio right or say goodnight. A poor movie can come alive with the right soundtrack. A good movie will die if the audio sucks” between good lighting and great lighting. All you need is the right person doing your lights. You can light something so it is well lit, or so it is lit well, and there is a difference. . If you light it well, it will help the scene seem more real. Like having some shadows come across a face. If you just light it well, there are no shadows, and it’s just boring. If you add a few shadows from a nearby tree branch, it becomes more intriguing, and makes a good scene better. Don’t light flat and boring. Liven it up with realistic shadows. Add dynamic range. If everything is monotone, it is boring. We call it monotonous. Apply dynamic range to audio, color and contrast.
January/February 2014
AUDIO Get your audio right or say goodnight. A poor movie can come alive with the right soundtrack. A good movie will die if the audio sucks. You should have a good boom operator, audio mixer, and some lav mics on set. Even if you record your dialogue properly, you may have to do some ADR (Additional Dialogue Recording) in the studio afterwards. Dialogue will be tweaked and sweetened in post, and you’ll add music, foley and SFX. All these things add to the movie going experience. MUSIC The music behind the scene should match the mood and speed of the scene. You can have fast, hard rock or hip hop behind a car chase scene. It doesn’t work so well behind the romantic couple floating down the river in a canoe. This applies to your opening title sequence and your closing credits as well. Use music that makes sense with each scene in the film. TIMING/RHYTHM/PACE Pace your movie properly. If it’s an action film, you’ll want a lot of quick cuts. If it’s a suspense film, you may want to hold your shots longer. If it’s a fast moving comedy, you may want to use some fast zooms, pans, and crane shots. I mentioned in part one that your camera shots should match the mood of the scene. Camera movement, transitions, cuts… should also match the tone of your film. END OF PART 2 to be continued
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AZ FILMMAKER 11
FILMPRODUCTION
A HORSE FOR SUMMER
An Interview with Director Nancy Criss by Shari K. Green
I was so proud when I was asked to interview NANDAR Co-Founder and President, NANCY Criss. I had an absolutely wonderful time speaking with her and getting to know the Director/ Producer of the film “A Horse for Summer”, starring Dean Cain and Christopher Atkins. She couldn’t have been more open and honest about all things filmmaking and what she’s been through so far in her career and especially what she believes will be her future. Admirably, she is quick to give every single one of her projects a “WE” credit, even when the blood, sweat and tears are often her own. She lives and breathes making movies and bringing to life the stories we want to see, but that from a business standpoint will also be successful and profitable. She juggles the creative and the trade side of the biz with one finger feeling the pulse of a project and the right side of her brain staying involved in the goings-on on set. I dug deeply, however, to find something outside of Horses and Filmmaking that NANCY had a passion for or some juicy secret that she hasn’t told the rest of the world, but I couldn’t find anything because these things are her life. Filmmaking is that important to her. She can barely remember a time in her life when she wasn’t involved in it. So, talking to her about her filmmaking was where I kept the subject and she was a wealth of information for me… and for you. I know virtually nothing about the 12 AZ FILMMAKER
not take anything personally. And… keep plugging at it. This business is one that people can really knock you down. Stick to your dreams, be positive and get rid of the negative ASAP!!” It was a pleasure getting to know her and if you don’t know NANCY, take a few minutes to get to know her here. She’s quite an inspiration as she’s a successful woman who doesn’t take no for an answer and has never let anything get in the way of her dreams. AZFM: You’re an interesting person to dig into. From one woman to the next, it sure was nice reading about your success.
rodeo so this is not a topic I really spoke to her about, but she brought it up a few times. She’s been on horses for about the same amount of time she’s been in front of or holding a camera. She wants to, with free time I don’t see that she’s going to locate, get back to the rodeo with the new rope horse she got recently. She did tell me that, on occasion, she rides quads with her brother in Tucson and she spends a lot of time with her daughter, Nicole Taylor Criss. Her daughter is following in NANCY’s footsteps and acts in her films. I asked her if she had given her child any tips about the biz and she said she told Nicole, who sometimes gets a hard time in school for being an actor, and this is a really good suggestion for us all to follow, is “This is one business where you have to try your best to
January/February 2014
NANCY: (laughs) When I first opened my own business I was twenty-one, I think it was, and it was hard to get people to take you serious. Being young and female… it was like a double whammy… “you don’t know what you’re talking about!” you know? You can’t let the negativity
FILMPRODUCTION
A HORSE FOR SUMMER continued
ever for me, the film was actually in the profit first day of camera. AZFM: Wow. NANCY: Yeah. We were already at profit before first day of production. AZFM: I can’t imagine how one would manage that. NANCY: With a lot of hard work before. We owe a lot to the crowdfunding and our sponsors and pre-selling t-shirts and DVD’s to help raise funding for the actual production. Pre-sold, which a lot of people don’t do these days, but we were able to pre-sell some more territories and get money from the territories for production funds and then I only had to get a few dollars from outside financing so… what’s really good is that our investors for the film, when we deliver the film, their pretty much going to get their whole investment back and maybe even a profit, from their first check
Nancy Criss directing A Horse for Summer
get to you but I’ve overcome the hurdles and it’s a good thing now. AZFM: I’d say you have. NANCY: And I’ve been very lucky. I have my horses and get to make movies. That’s the whole reason I started my other company is to give me the financial freedom to not have to worry about, “I need to make a living at this.” And that’s one thing people struggle with in the entertainment business. It’s hard to make a living at it but my business allowed me to kick my production company off the ground and now that makes its own money and I am able to make a living at it. We just finished wrapping “A Horse For Summer”, which I have in post… it’s really doing phenomenally and, knock on wood, for the first time
The crew in action
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FILMPRODUCTION
A HORSE FOR SUMMER continued
and they’re not waiting for years. As soon as we get done with post and we deliver the film and get our money from the distributers, we’re able to pay them back right away. AZFM: On that note, what is your biggest piece of advice for indie filmmakers to raise money? Does crowd-funding work? NANCY: It does work. I’ve done a couple of films and I’ve been successful at crowd-funding. We raised almost $50,000 for “A Horse for Summer.” AZFM: What?! NANCY: It’s like anything else. I have some friends that are celebrities, household names that have said they could only raise 14 AZ FILMMAKER
$3,000 dollars and have asked me how I did it. You know, you can’t just slap a campaign up and expect people are going to donate or pledge to your project. I worked at it tentwelve hours a day, every day, seven days a week, promoting, pushing, trying to get creative for a couple of months. It’s like anything. You get out of it what you put into it. If you’re not going to put any work into it, then no, crowd-funding doesn’t
of that was developed through crowd-funding, too. People are like, “You’re not just living your dream, but you’re allowing us to live our dreams, too!” Because they get to be on a film set or be involved during the making of a film and learn, from the inside, what goes on and thank you for making a family film because there aren’t enough of them out there.” The response we’ve had for the film has been overwhelming.
Actually, how this whole film came about was through our distributor. I went to them and asked, “What would you like for us to do?”
AZFM: Why this film? What about “A Horse for Summer” spoke to you?
work. I’ve used it for two films now and I’ve always reached my goal. So, it’s, you know, you’ve got to work at it and be creative and keep your fans involved and make it exciting for them. The whole time that you’re doing that, you’re building a fan base for your film, which is very important. What’s really nice about this one, and I love, is because of our group page on Facebook, it’s like one big family. Half of them came out while we were filming! I had people from North Carolina, Atlanta, and Australia come out to the set while we were making the movie. It’s such a cool fan base that we have for the film and a lot
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NANCY: Actually, how this whole film came about was through our distributor. I went to them and asked, “What would you like for us to do?” I’m big with working with the distributor up front. And that’s crucial. A lot of people make a film and then try to get distribution and do everything on their own; I’m big about working with the distributor upfront. What do you need? What genre are you looking for? What cast works well? What sells in what territories? It’s just doing smart business. The film… you have the creative aspect and the business aspect. Ours was all
FILMPRODUCTION
A HORSE FOR SUMMER continued about prepackaging it the right way to make it more beneficial. And so, they like faith based family films. They always do really well. Well, our thing was, “It’s faith based, with Dean Cain in a heading to push it, and it isn’t seasonal”; which for them was a slam-dunk because they can sell all times of year because we didn’t make it like a Christmas movie or anything else. Any tie to a family film… with animals… know your actors, and nine times out of ten, that movie is going to make money. AZFM: Dean Cain and Christopher Atkins are in “A Horse for Summer”, so answer this, how do you go about getting a name for a project? NANCY: You call their agent or find the back door in. We actually… Joel (Paul Reisig), one of the producers, already had worked with Dean Cain so it was easy to get him. Eric Roberts, I had worked with before. Christopher Atkins is a friend of mine that I’ve known for a long, long time so I can pick up the phone and called them directly, but with Dean, we just went straight to his agent, sent him the script and they came back and he liked the project and gave us an LOI, which is important. You want a Letter of Intent so you can use that for the funding for your film.
AZFM: In filmmaking, what do you like to do most? You’ve done just about all facets of the job. NANCY: Producing and directing. I started out in front of the camera. That’s how I first got in the business at, like, thirteen, but the last ten-
fifteen years I really like producing and I’ve been doing a lot more directing, which I looove. By far I had the best cast and crew ever of all the film projects, and I’m not knocking my other projects and cast and crew out there, but “A Horse for
Summer” was drama free. The cast, the crew… it was just a pleasure to work with everybody. Everybody was hard working and we could pull off twelve to fifteen pages a day, which is unheard of, and still get all the shots that I wanted. It’s funny because I had a couple of crew members say, “We came on this project but there’s no way on earth you’re going to get it off in this shooting schedule.” And after the shoot, one said, “I’ve gotta hand it to you. I’m amazed! You did it. You knew your shots. You were decisive.” He goes, “I really thought we’d get about 50% of the film shot when I first started.” So… AZFM: Yeah. You’re amazing. You’re saying this is going to be out and on DVD by March?! NANCY: Yeah, we’re actually… I had an on-set editor and right now we have probably close to 90% of the film edited. We need to do the music score and the dialogue edit which will take about sixty days so my target is to have it completely done in March. My deadline date is June 1, 2014 with the distributors, but I’m trying to be sixty days ahead, proactive with them. Deliver the film early. So, that way I can get our funds and get the investors paid back quicker and that way they’ll fund my next picture for me.
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FILMPRODUCTION
A HORSE FOR SUMMER continued AZFM: I gotta ask, do you ever sleep? NANCY: I’m up at about 4:30 every morning. AZFM: I bet. The early bird and all that stuff. Wow. Another thing I just have to ask is, do you dream of
Oscar, I mean, are there awards for your endeavors on the horizon? NANCY: You know what? One of our pictures does have big buzz. Everyone is saying that we’re going to get an Oscar nomination for it and 16 AZ FILMMAKER
would be surprised if we didn’t; and that’s “WINDCATCHER The Story of Sacajawea”, which we hope to go into production in 2014 on it. But, there’s where I bet my reputation and history. I’ve been able to become good friends with a lot of producers who have won Academy Awards or have been nominated for them and for Emmy’s and I called them in to help on this project and… actually, Harvey Lowry is going to direct it. Harvey owns a big make-up and FX company. If you look him up he worked on “A Beautiful Mind” and a ton of major studio pictures, which I hired him to actually direct this because it’s a bigger budget. Our budget is like 10 million on this picture. AZFM: Umm… okay. NANCY: But this is the one. AZFM: Good luck!
January/February 2014
NANCY: I was lucky to attend the Academy Awards one year and I remember sitting there in the audience thinking, ‘One day I just want to be able to just be nominated for Best Picture.’ You know? AZFM: I can’t imagine. And you were sitting there. NANCY: Oh, yeah. That was quite the experience. I was like one person over from Donald Trump so I had really good seats down on the main floor but, yeah, for anyone who is in the film business, that’s one of your goals… go to the Academy Awards. It’s an experience in itself. AZFM: Right. Well, being a writer of a few screenplays myself, I must ask for the screenwriters out there what you have for us: what do we do with our script once it’s done? NANCY: One thing I will advise and I use a lot and I know a lot of production companies use it; and these guys have been real good to me, it’s called INKTIP.COM. It’s a really good outlet for writers to get their work out because a lot of production companies and producers go there to find scripts and… and the last three projects I’ve done, I got them all from there. On the site you can search if their works has been produced or if they’re up
FILMPRODUCTION
and coming. It doesn’t really matter because it allows us to go in and look over the storylines and the taglines and then we can look over projects and the writer and see if we’ll be able to work with them. It’s really good for writers that don’t have representation to get your work out there and seen because as a production company, you have to go through a process with them to qualify to even be able to use the site. So, it’s like they don’t just take any production company either… you’ve gotta be established and so forth. You know, they try to help their writers get with people who are going to do something so they don’t end up wasting the writers’ time. AZFM: Proudest moment… outside of kids. You can’t say kids because that would be everyone’s answer. NANCY: My kid! AZFM: Come on. What else you got for us? NANCY: You know, I think it’s coming with “A Horse for Summer”. I am so proud of this one film that I cannot even believe what we’ve accomplished with it so far. And attending the Academy Awards. AZFM: That would put that heat in your chest and keep you going, I would imagine. NANCY: Yeah. That was several
October, and then pitch if for a T.V. series. It’s a crime murder mystery series… the character, Kendall O’Dell, has a series of about five novels and so we’re going to relate the first book as a feature film so I’ll be producing and directing that… and we’re going to be shooting that in Arizona.
years ago and I was like, ‘God. One day I just want that script to come across my desk!’ And that’s when I got “WINDCATCHER” The Sacajawea Story and as soon as I read
If you’re not going to put any work into it, then no, crowdfunding doesn’t work. I’ve used it for two films now and I’ve always reached my goal. it I met with her in Hollywood and I was hired to help produce it and I was just like… ‘This is the script.’ It was the one I was looking for. I remember having that moment, sitting there saying, ‘I believe this is the one.’ AZFM: What’s next? NANCY: I just got hired to produce and direct a new series called “Deadly Sanctuary”, based off of the book by Sylvia Nobel. We’re going to shoot the feature later in the year when the weather cools off, probably
AZFM: How will you…? Where are you going to find the time?! NANCY: I don’t know. I will. (laughs) I’ll just have to schedule them all out. But like I said, that one is pushed until October and hopefully by then we’ve shot the big film and hopefully by the following year I’m attending the Academy Awards. That’s my goal. AZFM: Do you have a personal motto you’d like to share? NANCY: Just… live for your dream. I don’t want anyone telling me “No.” Well, they may tell me no, but you’ve got to look at it that… every “No” you get is one step closer to a “Yes.” It’s like the old saying, “You only live this life once so make the most of it!” That’s what I plan on doing. I still feel like a kid in a candy store when I’m on set and I’ve been doing this for forty years. It’s the same as it was then… now. You know? I just love what I do. And so do we NANCY! Keep doing it!
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INTERVIEW
AMBUSH AT DARK CANYON An Interview with Kix Brooks By Shari Green
Talking to country music star Kix Brooks, of Brooks and Dunn, was very interesting to say the least. He embodies the cowboys that he admires and his accent was such a lovely timbre to these ears that had I not had any questions to ask him regarding his film “Ambush at Dark Canyon”,
which came out on DVD at WalMarts across the country on 1/14/2014, I would have done anything, thought of any reason, to keep the man talking. Luckily, he kept it to his filmmaking and there was plenty of material on the subject, as well as his opinions on independent films and how
he respects and applauds the filmmakers involved in creating them. Never once did I have to panic about what to ask next to keep the tone sounding and the information pouring in. He seemed quite honored to be asked the questions and respectful in giving well thought out, honest answers. I hope you
appreciate what he had to say as much as I did. AZFM: Kix… I have a few questions for you. Kix: I’m all full of answers! AZFM: Wonderful. My first one is, what made you venture into filmmaking, Kix?! Kix: Well, first, I studied theatre in college and this has always been a passion of mine and I did quite a bit of that stuff while I was in school. Being on the road touring didn’t allow for a lot of it, I did a few cameos and a couple of T.V. shows along the way, but when Ronnie (Dunn) and I came off the road
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INTERVIEW
a couple of guys, Dustin Rikert, who’s in Phoenix, and William Shockley were making a movie called “Thriftstore Cowboy” with Barry Corbin and Cooper Huckabee, some of the original guys from the
“Urban Cowboy” movie, and they offered me a really cool role and I said, ‘Well, this would be a fun way to get started.’
AZFM: That’s such a change and so exciting! Kix: It wasn’t a huge role but it was more than a cameo so, I had a chance to study up and get into a good character and umm… I got done with it and they offered me a leading role in a movie that they had written. A cowboy movie in which I immediately responded, ‘Hey, you don’t want me to screw your movie up; you might want to get a real actor to do this.’ They convinced me that I should… should give it a try. I read the script and really fell in love with it and knew that if I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity, one like that may not never come along like that again, so... It was a great start and we got to become great friends and since then we’ve started a film production company together (Team Two Entertainment) and we’ve
made several more movies and have several projects in the works. AZFM: I read that you got some friends together and created a production company and ya make movies. You made it sound so simple. From experience, Kix, that’s not usually how it’s done. It’s much harder than that. Tell us, the indie film community, how one decides to do this one day and is successful at it the next. Kix: You know, I think the… well, passion seems to drive everything. Most independent filmmakers start with that. Obviously you have to have enough money to get started so everybody deals with “seed money” in a different way and we’ve been fortunate to have people that share our passion and… uh… want to share in the fun and hopefully the success. Then comes, you know,
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INTERVIEW
AMBUSH AT DARK CANYON continued
the part where I think a lot of filmmakers go in a lot of different directions as far as how they approach it.
intrigued and honestly admire independent filmmakers who are able to get a huge bang for their buck and Dustin Rikert is that guy in
AZFM: What do you mean? Kix: Well, ‘Is this a vanity film? Is this a passion film that you feel that just needs to be made?’ Ultimately, how do you make money with this film so that you get to stay at the table and make more movies? AZFM: That’s what we all dream of, right? Kix: For me, that’s the really interesting and challenging part and to me it’s a very important part as far as being responsible to the investors. If you have an investor who just wants to make a movie and wants it to be seen by as many people as they can and aren’t concerned about getting their money back, that’s one thing. But, if you convince investors that this is a good investment, than you have a responsibility to try and make some money with your movie.
spades. It’s really fun to watch him work, to watch him deal with every line item in a very responsible way… and you’ve got to start there because
AZFM: Absolutely, but how does one do such a thing? What’s the secret, if there is one? Kix: The first thing is making a good movie cheaply. I’m really 20 AZ FILMMAKER
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when people are just doing things that they think are cool and they do it ten different ways and… and, you know, you just can’t, generally with independent films, afford to waste money. So, learning how to really get a great shot, learning how to get great performances out of your actors for the least amount of money is an art in itself. A lot of independent filmmakers take great pride in how little they spend doing stuff. It’s kinda anti-Hollywood and to me its… ummm… its got that great working-class sense of responsibility to it that I really admire. AZFM: After an indie film is made, there is a lot to consider with marketing and getting distribution, which is not an easy task. Kix: ‘How do you market your movie?’ I think, for us with this western movie, I’m taking advantage of my relationship with Wal-Mart for selling country music all these years. I realize that everyone doesn’t have that connection, but at the same time I think that everyone, I’m using that as an example, but you have to use any connection that you
do have, any asset that you do have that you can somehow twist into marketing for your movie. Umm… and use that to your advantage to sell your movie. It’s just like, again I know there are all kinds of outlets, you know, there are some people that look down on commercialism and all that, but even with music I’ve always felt that the more people you can get to hear your music, the more people that you can get to see your movie and they like it, then they tell other people about it. Word of mouth, there’s nothing more powerful than that. So, the important thing for us is to get this movie on as many eyeballs as we possibly can and then let the movie speak for itself. Ultimately that’s what you do. Does everyone have those same connections and the ability to do some of these things? Probably not, but I bet there’s a lot of people who make movies who have friends in their local communities, and connections, that I
don’t have either, you just have to put your thinking cap on to make an independent film work, I think. AZFM: What are you doing to promote this film? Kix: We’re going to do whistle-stops, we’re going to do red carpets all over the country. We’re starting with a benefit in conjunction with WalMart who’ve given us an exclusive. My connections got me in the door, but they liked the movie so now there’s big posters when you walk
in Wal-Mart and whatever, so that’s going to help us. There’s a benefit where Wal-Mart is coming and it’s a great red carpet publicity way to role the movie out. After that, the 29th of this month, we’re gonna do a showing at the new Hall of Fame theatre in Nashville which is this beautiful, really big… with balconies, seven or eight hundred seat new theatre so, we’ll have the publicity machine from Nashville which his kinda where our audience is. All of our friends and cast is coming in and we’re going to have a big red carpet here and blow it up. After that I’m also hosing a couple of syndicated radio shows so, we’re going to use our affiliates around the country and go to different cities around the country throughout the year and let their own towns have red carpets and keep showing this movie, letting people see it, ya know, as opposed to just doing the normal theatrical release we’re gonna get on my tour
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INTERVIEW
AMBUSH AT DARK CANYON continued
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the music and… and all these things just to generate excitement around promoting it. AZFM: Are you going to have an Arizona screening?
bus and go do whistle-stops and talk about the making of the movie and
Kix: I’d love to. I think that would be really fun. It’s premature but one of the things we’d love to do is go back to Yuma. We shot at the prison which has been closed since 1918, but that local community was so supportive of us, even the homeless community the… the people from town, came to us and asked if we’d be interested in working with them and, you know, we put meals together and asked them if they’d like to participate and use them
as extras. We’d love to invite them and invite them and that whole community to a screening. You know, Yuma is such a cool town and they were so nice to us, we’d love to come and give back. And again, there’s another opportunity. Phoenix is big and cool and it would be great to do it there and maybe Tucson as well, but there’s a place that maybe doesn’t generally get the publicity and it’s kinda unique and that’s something that’s definitely on our radar. AZFM: Are you worried at all that your films won’t do particularly well because movie watchers who know who you are but who don’t
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INTERVIEW
AMBUSH AT DARK CANYON continued appreciate your style of music, might stay away or that the CD won’t do well for the same reason? Kix: No. (laughs) If… you just can’t… what are you going to do, you know? I mean, again, I think that if you make a film… I made music
that I’m as proud of as anything I’ve ever made in my entire career. You’d expect me to say that but that’s the honest to God truth. I wrote these songs with some of my buds I’ve been writing with for twenty-five years and we’ve written a lot of hits
and we set down with everyone one of these songs going, ‘Forget about the radio. This song’s about passion. This song is about revenge. This song’s about this outlaw’ We wrote, to me, a real cool body of work that… it’s cowboy, it’s outlaw, it’s
redemption and revenge. It’s all the things that should go with a cowboy movie, in my heart and mind. As an artist, a recording artist and a song writer, that’s the passion that you want to chase and I came away from this with a real good feeling. I don’t expect everyone to like my music. Ever. AZFM: Is there a chance that you and your production team getting together to write a movie based on any of your hit songs? Do you ever see that happening? 24 AZ FILMMAKER
January/February 2014
Kix: Yeah, we’ve talked about that. We’ve pitched a few different songs, hits, that Ronnie and I had or other hit songs and as of yet we haven’t come up with anything that just kills up, but we have several projects in the works, treatments and even scripts that are getting pretty far down the road that we’re real excited about. And that’s always a neat
hook… if you do have a song that people are familiar with and they want to see how the story goes… as of yet we haven’t pulled that off but it’s definitely on the table. AZFM: Are you going to get behind the camera and maybe direct? Kix: Ya know, right now I enjoy
producing as much as anything but I really do enjoy acting, too, and I’d like to do a couple more roles and… I enjoy watching Dustin and other talented directors. I don’t feel like I’ve been around the set enough to have a good grip on how all the shots work yet but who knows, down the road anything could happen.
A SHORT FILM PRODUCTION
LOOKING FOR SHORT FILMS
for cable TV show in Philadelphia • Under ten minutes preferred, but will consider longer lengths • Most genres, including animation and music videos • no nudity, foul language and so on • Show airs at 10:00 PM on Monday nights
Stewart Brodian P.O. Box 1253 Easton, PA. 18044 sbrodian@yahoo.com
http://brodiansbasement.webs.com
DOMINIC’S A U T O
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602-460-7318
Engine Repair ■ AC Repair Brakes ■ Tune Ups January/February 2014
AZ FILMMAKER 25
FILMDISTRIBUTION
I Gotta Do What?!!
A GUIDE TO SELLING YOUR MOVIE by Jon Bonnell Part 2 of a two part series
GENRE Genre selection is another vital decision you as a filmmaker will make. In what setting will your story and its messages be best received? The choice you make is far more important than you could ever imagine. To maximize your salability, and therefore the return to your investors, you need to not only think about your home country’s market, but all the other territories in the world. If you play your cards right you’ll be able to prove to your investors that you are a worthwhile investment worthy of more funding in the future, but only if you pay them back. Understanding what will sell and what will not is a vital part of your understanding of the industry that is your chosen profession. The artist in you may be inclined to produce a drama; however, no name dramas are by far the most difficult property to sell. Save that dramatic script for when you have the budget to be able to produce it the way it deserves to be produced rather than trying to do it on the budgets you currently have access to. It is also very difficult to sell comedy because humor is often lost in translation. Scripted comedy relies on the nuances of situation and language. Save these for a different stage of your professional journey. One other genre that independent filmmakers like to embrace is the romantic comedy. Unfortunately romantic comedies are really about the personalities on screen. People like to see actors they know. Indie Rom Coms are fighting an uphill battle from the beginning because their budget just can’t afford the pairing’s that people want to see on screen. 26 AZ FILMMAKER
So what is a good fit for the early stage professional filmmaker? Certainly not the narrow field you might be envisioning: • Action • Thrillers • Science Fiction • Family • Adventure • Fantasy • Horror The biggest reason to single out these genres is because actions speak louder than words and don’t have to be translated. Regardless of your language you can follow the movie. The only exception up there is family. Family is an underserved market that is always looking for new content. While it actually quite often embraces the comedy and drama genres listed as no-no’s, there is something about a story about a boy and his dog that is universal and constantly in demand. Whether you’re an independent filmmaker or part of the studio system, it’s a proven formula for success. Just look at the career of James Cameron. He started with Piranha Two: The Spawning, but then went on to Terminator, Aliens, and finally Titanic. No one can say Mr. Cameron can’t do anything he wants now, can they? Now it’s time to shift from the creative side of development into a more analytical viewpoint. You’ve developed your script, now it’s time to develop your business plan. BUDGETING AND SALES ESTIMATES To entice real investors your film project should be treated like any
January/February 2014
other new venture. That means you need to develop a real business plan. Many projects fail out of the gate because they didn’t take the time to develop the collaterals necessary to fund their project in a real and viable manner. In any given year, I find myself contracted to create 1215 budgets for filmmakers because potential investors have reported that the business plan isn’t solid. It is the unfortunate reality that many filmmakers have never considered that there is a business side to their art form. Are you hearing a reoccurring theme, yet? The foundation of a strong business plan is in the numbers. A solid production budget and sales projections help a potential investor make an informed decision A strong budget is not created out of thin air. It takes a finalized script and research. You cannot plan a real budget without knowing how many shooting days, your talents’ budgets, and more. You may need to make friends with other filmmakers, casting directors, and others to put together an appropriate budget right out of the gate. There are rules, contracts, and more. That said, for the first time indie we’re going to be going back to the friends and family thing. How much do you think you can raise? Now, can you make the film for that amount and be proud of it. If not, go back to the script and adjust. Can the battle between blue aliens and reptile mutants remotely be done for the money and talent that you have available? With your budget in place you can figure out who you can afford in your film. Right now it’s just a plan, but be
FILMDISTRIBUTION
realistic (more on casting is coming up in the next section). Developing your budget in a vacuum without sales data is naïve. One great resource to obtain such numbers is The-Numbers (http:// www.thenumbers.com). On this site you want to pull the comparables (comps). You are looking for independent films in the same genre with similar themes, story lines, casting, etc. Be realistic in your research. It’s an amateur’s mistake to use comps for the indie anomalies like Paranormal Activity, District 8, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and the Blair Witch Project. Don’t look like an amateur. That all said, realistically the best numbers don’t come from the comps. They come from real quotes from an actual distributor. What? You don’t know any or no one will talk with you? What did I say was the most important thing to learn? So go to your rolodex of all those business cards you collected from filmmakers at film festivals, parties, and lectures and start making some calls. See who can introduce you to distributors. Before approaching a distributor do your homework, though. Look at the films in their library. Do they represent films in your genre? Are their production values what you envision for your film? Check IMDB, BoxOfficeMojo, and The-Numbers for published budgets but remember what is publicized isn’t always what they were made for. When it comes to public disclosure of a budget most people lie or just don’t disclose the information. In fact everyone expects everyone else to
lie. Why, because they’ll lowball you if you are honest. Just make sure the film looks like you really spent that much money. You don’t want anyone to think you wasted the money. Reach out professionally. Explain you are in development and seeking a sales estimate. Be realistic about your experience, your track record, and your cast. And remember if they agree to give you a quote it is without guarantees. Just because they’ve spoken with you doesn’t mean they’ll buy the finished projects.
Every successful filmmaker I’ve worked with knows there’s a time to be creative and a time for business. This won’t be the only time you’re in communication with a potential distributor. Build a good relationship with a distribution rep. You’re going to want to run other aspects of your project by them in the future. Make it worth their time. Use your people skills, be respectful of their time and expertise and an acknowledgment of their favors to you every now and then wouldn’t be a bad idea either. A film pro uses these numbers to inform his budget not the other way around. If the distributor tells you that the maximum you can hope to glean from foreign territories is $120,000, you’re going to want to set your budget for less than that. And that’s for everything: produce, finish, and distribute the film. Don’t make the rookie mistake of thinking those costs are anyone else’s responsibility. They are expenses that you pay, and if you aren’t proactive they can eat away your sales revenue after the film is sold.
Oh, and if you want a happy investor you’ll leave some profit margin in there as well so that you can not only pay the investor back but make them a little money as well. After all, it’s a business, right? And the ultimate goal of a business is to make a profit. Next issue we’ll talk about the Preproduction stages for distribution. Until then… About Jon Bonnell Born and raised in Arizona, Jon Bonnell produces, directs, and writes both for film and television. His entertainment career has encompassed theater, film, and television in Phoenix and Los Angeles. Today, Mr. Bonnell is the CEO of White Hogan Pictures and editor of The Production AZ Daily. He is also the author behind the book “I Gotta Do What?!! a primer for independent film distribution” and the website I Gotta Do What?!! a primer for independent film makers (igottadowhat.com launching soon). Jon has produced four features and 26 episodes of television; all of which have gone on to be successful for the investors. He has successfully delivered titles to Anchor Bay, LionsGate, 20th Century Fox, and more. Jon has also been contracted to “save” films for buyers through extensive oversight of post production and marketing. Jon Bonnell has worked in film and television distribution for the last five years and has been responsible for the distribution of more than 100 feature films and hundreds of episodes of television including such films as Henry’s Crime (Keanu Reeves and James Caan), See You In September (Whoopee Goldberg, Estella Warren), and Mayor Cupcake (Judd Nelson and Lea Thompson). He has worked with Moving Pictures Film and Television, Screenmedia, ICAP Media, and Freestyle Releasing and been responsible for everything from theatrical releases to television sales.
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SUCCESSSTORY
RED ROCKS by Susan Cloud Hall
THE NEW AGE INFLUENCE
Raven Madonna (Michelle Lamar Richards), the soul retriever, discovers something unorthodox in her client: they have no souls to retrieve. The aliens are prime suspects of soul theft because they get high on human experience. Alee traverses the red rocks with a hunch that the alien invaders are lost Anasazi Indians. His quest is to discover the aliens’ intent. Are they benevolent or malevolent?
Adobe sienna rock formations define the dramatic skyline. On a windless day, red dust swirls around scenery so beautiful it speaks to you. Cotton clouds drift over magic vortexes. Tourists from all over the world soak up Sedona’s picturesque scenery and basque in the power of its supernatural influence. This weekly Sedona soap opera has characters as colorful as its vistas.
Heroes emerge to solve the quandary. Zachary has a background in covert operations and jumps in to aid Sedona. But his love affair with the wealthy and villainous Josie Lordes (Sarah Ann Lesslie) hinder his good deeds. Webber is a genius computer geek who puts together a coalition of like-minded teens. The aliens target Webber for his brain.
With psychics, soul retrieving shamans, Native Americans and even aliens from outer space, THE ROCKS adhere to the soap opera format. Characters plot to usurp each other while leveraging their secrets for barter. What’s unique is the otherworldly arena in which they play. The brainchild is Dev Ross, Creator/ Writer who credits THE ROCKS’ inspiration from a Sedona women’s artist’s meeting. Many years ago, this meeting was led by a new ager whose name is unidentifiable because she kept changing it. The leader claimed to be the “keeper of the dream” and declared she held the dream for everyone there. Fresh from LA, Dev discounted such notions. However, 20 years later the prophesy rings true because that meeting was the genesis for THE ROCKS. The TV show will air on Red Rock TV, Netflix, Hulu, soapopera. com and other outlets TBD. Dev has racked up accolades as an Emmy Award winning writer, award winning screenwriter and book author. A recipient of the Dramalogue and Humanitas Awards, she works with her Director husband, John Reynolds. John has worked in film and theatre for over 35 years and was awarded the Gold Cine Award while being nominated for both Emmy and Humanitas awards. The couple has worked locally, across the country and as far away as South Korea. Producer, Summer Helene trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts in Sydney, Australia. When she moved to the US she worked with several production 28 AZ FILMMAKER
companies and notable directors. Her mission is to bring film to Sedona, making THE ROCKS a springboard for others to film in Sedona. Alexis Romero is Assistant to Producer and defined as “the boss of Summer’s world.”
THE STORY Definition: Vortexes are fields of energy conveying properties such as creativity, healing, enlightenment, et al. Soul retrieval is based on the premise that we lose soul pieces through trauma and, soul theft by others. Shamans retrieve these lost pieces. Walk-ins are aliens inhabiting human bodies. Although the characters come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, they share the commonality of living in Sedona. There’s the dancer, Alexis Little (Thekla Hutyra), a Native American, Alee Nez (Clayson Benally), a spoiled heiress, Lorinda Dawkins (Linda Damita), a handsome pilot, Zachary Stone (J.B. Miller) and conspiracy theorist Webber O’Donnell (Jule Johnson). But that’s not all.
January/February 2014
Other characters are Tanya (Shondra Jefferson), the alien walk-in, wannabe country singer and Andon (Mark Laursen), the Breatharian who survives only on air. And typical Sedona personalities like Sha-Ron (Tricia Greer), the no nonsense psychic and Marco (Jeff Masters), the time shares salesman. All the while Jesus Armaro (Michael Lopez) is the ageless watcher. Then the script swings Elizabethan with the fairies as the Fairies Elementals inhabit the supernatural caverns of Bell Rock. Despite their characters’ dissimilar backgrounds and conflicts, they all must come together to drive out the aliens.
THE CAST Three cast members were available at press time. They all seem ripe for their roles because most have had paranormal experiences and/or witnessed FOs. Most gave detailed accounts. Additionally, they have training and experience in the performing arts. Mark Laursen spent 10 years in LA and also danced and painted in France. Linda Damita worked as a model, actor, and dancer in film, TV and stage. Shondra Jefferson is a singer, songwriter, musician and teacher with an entertainment duo called Tom and Shondra.
FORACTORS
Being an Extra
and How to Get Upgraded by Debbie Jennings
“Oh” you say, “I don’t really do” extra work, or “all I like to do” is extra work. To each their own! Most productions need extras. Some just need a few, while others need dozens or even hundreds. The more extra work you do, the more people in the industry you will get to know and the more you will be on set. I wanted to cover this topic a little.
1) Why do extra work? Well, for starters, if your new to the industry, you will get to meet cast and crew, get familiar with how things work and have a lot of fun too. Sometimes you get paid, sometimes you don’t. What type of jobs you accept are completely up to you. I know some people who love extra work. Easy breezy, just follow orders and have fun. Usually no lines to memorize, or very few, just do what your told and do it well. I personally love it. I always love to be on set anytime I can. I am not new to the industry, but I love to be around other people who love acting. There is a lot of down time on set as well, where you can get to know your fellow actor or catch up with the ones you haven’t seen for a while. As long as camera is not rolling, you can chat and have a great time with this. Seeing the entire production in motion is exciting! I love the action and I love to watch the other actors do their thing. Its like magic in the making!
2) I am an extra, but how do I get upgraded to a speaking
role? How do I positively get the attention of the director? Is this even possible? Many productions for a variety of different reasons, will upgrade an actor from an extra to a principal role, give them a line, or give them a featured extra role, rather than being lost in a crowd of extras. The trick is, how do you get them to pick you? There are a few steps I follow: a) Basic professionalism: Show up on time, act like a professional, bring required wardrobe, make sure you follow all instructions on your call-sheet or email for the shoot. No complaining, no drama, no excessive cell phone pics, and follow instructions - listen listen listen. b) Pay attention and smile! When the director or assistant director (AD) is first setting up a scene, many times they will be looking at who else they need. They will be looking at the extras for “clues” on who to pick for a given task. Make sure you know who these people are. The names will be listed on the call sheet and if you pay close enough attention, you will see them. They will see who looks friendly, approachable and professional. I will give you an example. I was on a set last year and the AD was looking at all of us - scanning the extras. Everyone was sitting, looking bored, or chatting with their neighbor. I looked at him straight on with a nice smile, awaiting any instructions. He pointed at me and asked me to come to the ,main set
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area. He needed a stand-in to rehearse a scene as the lead, because the lead had not shown up yet and the equipment needed to be in the right place and the settings had to be adjusted. We chatted as lights, sound and camera were being adjusted. When the lead showed up, I was placed as a featured extra, directly behind the lead in the scene. I also said thank-you! Very important. This type of thing has happened on numerous occasions, and they will not forget you. It’s a small community - you will probably be on set with them again. You want them to remember you! c) Be able to “go with the flow”, be flexible, never assume anything, and have a polite sense of humor. They look for this! They need you to change your wardrobe, memorize a line, re-direct you on the spot. Just go with it and be easy to work with. Have something to add? Share it! Have fun and I will see you on set!
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AZ FILMMAKER 29
MOVIEREVIEW
COWBOY ZOMBIES:
Undead invade Arizona territory, survivors head for the safety of Tucson by Bill Pierce
Released just in time for Halloween, the brand new AZ indie horror feature “Cowboy Zombies” has arrived. After completing a week-long run at the Valley Art theatre on Mill Avenue in October, the film is slated for release online, with plans for a simultaneous theatrical run in January. “Cowboy Zombies delivers exactly what the title promises; Cowboys and Zombies plus a few clever gags. Set in the 1870’s Arizona Territory, Cowboy Zombies spins a wild western yarn complete with Cowboys, Indians, pistoleros and lawmen. Frontier justice is the order of the day, and death is pretty common in the small town of Crumpit Arizona. While Marshal Frank Wilcox (writer/producer/director Paul Winters) tracks down a band of outlaws in the desert outside of town, it’s hangin’ time back in Crumpit. The town gathers ‘round the gallows for a dual dispatch when one of the condemned pleads for his life, putting a curse on Crumpit if his execution proceeds. After a big bang, he hangs anyways but returns to life, along with every other dead person in town. Meanwhile in the desert, the Marshal isn’t doing much better, as the outlaws he iced in a gun battle return to life. After dispensing an entire box of ammo, he finally figures out the “shoot them in the head” requirement for zombie
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suppression, taking wounded pottymouthed outlaw George Rivers (Jarod Anderson) into custody. He rescues an Apache chief (Lee Whitestar) already up to his eyeballs in freaky flesh eaters, and meets up with badass buffalo soldier Sgt. Bale (A. Calion Maston). The foursome heads for Crumpit, which is currently experiencing its own zombie dilemma. All taxpayers who are not currently deceased have taken refuge in the Double Peach Saloon. The town doctor/preacher Black (Greg Bronson) decides this is an excellent opportunity to perform some
January/February 2014
experiments to see if he can grasp what exactly it takes to qualify for the zombie moniker. Doofus deputy Bishop (Sam Keller) breaks zombie rule number one and checks the pulse of one of the snarling hangmen, contracting the Z disease via neck chomp and accidentally shooting the sheriff in the shoulder. With experiment number one out of the way, they all head on over to the cemetery for sure fire zombie test number two: exhume a random townie, just to make sure that the first experiment wasn’t a fluke. They employ a double blind method of reanimation verification based on percentages compounded with empirical evidence substantiating the hypothesis that ALL dead people have come back to life and will invariably eat you regardless of when they had their last meal. The Marshal and his new pals eventually join the saloon survivors, who bide their time enjoying three square meals a day, making wedding plans and discovering cultural diversity and racial tolerance. They pop outside every now and then for a little Zombon Recon, with Sgt Bale firing a warning shot whenever they emerge from the saloon (???). More guest stars arrive at the hideout a la Gilligans Island that include a Chinese railroad laborer (Jai Yunae) and a Mexican bandito (Efrain Escudero). They get bored sitting around the saloon eating and drinking all day,
so they all agree that since the only horse in this one horse town has vanished, the best plan is to ride the rails over to densely populated Tucson, where the odds of a zombie encounter are greatly diminished (???). Doc (or preacher depending on which hat he’s wearing) stays behind with saloon owner Jasper (Mark Trombino) since they both dun been bit, and inject each other with embalming fluid to stave off the effects of the dreaded zombification (???). The journey to Tucson is fraught
with hazards, while the track attacking zombies get railroaded. “Cowboy Zombies” is certainly an interesting AZ indie feature, but I have to stop short of calling it entertaining. There are no stand-out performances to speak of since no one in the cast ever really registers anything close to terror, clocking in more towards the area of mild irritation. Co-written by renowned cartoonist Gahan Wilson (who illustrated my favorite account of the Salem Witch Trials in the “Big Book Of Bad”), the humor is surprisingly awkward and out of place, and the jokes are as dry as the Salt River. A lot of time and energy is wasted hammering home a distracting dilution of “Dances With Wolves” brotherhood and acceptance when it’s really the rainbow coalition of
zombies we’re here to see; hungry ghouls devouring all human skin regardless of the color. With such a high potential for a new take on an old theme, CZ brings nothing new to the zombie table, offering little more than an old west retelling of the original story behind “Dawn of the Dead” (1978). The zombies themselves are woefully absent, punctuated by several scenes of the deserted town with only zombie Foley dubbed over. Cinematography is non-existent, the film being mostly comprised of a lifeless collection of excruciatingly drawn out, one dimensional images dutifully assembled in the correct order. All of the shots are framed properly and the actors are in place, but that’s about it. The opening single shot of CZ sets the snail’s pace for this silly snoozer, as Marshal Wilcox emerges from behind a saguaro and slowly makes his way down a mountain. And this is a big mountain. The meteoric event that causes the dead to come back to life is never actually seen or attempted to be depicted by even a simple flash frame; we just have to take everybody’s word for it that it did occur.
ultimately, a pile of dead friends and relatives in the street. Winters passion is clearly for the epic, period western, a resource exhausting and time-consuming undertaking no matter who is at the helm. In his effort to provide both a serious, historic tale of the old west and a mildly humorous zombie movie on the cheap, Winters unceremoniously burns the candle at both ends; the flames quickly consume each other and the entire work fizzles fast. The dreary combination of sedentary scripting and banausic photography leaves the bored characters on the screen simply occupying the space provided while the vast, desirably cinematic Arizona landscape appears as propped up and phony as the western movie town they’re trapped in. If you’re looking for cowboys that become zombies, then pardner, you’ve come to the right place, as “Cowboy Zombies” delivers exactly that. But this delivery is not made by pony express or even carried on the 8:10 to Yuma. Cowboy Zombies arrives in a week to ten days buried in foam packing, with a movie somewhere way down inside there. Cowboy Zombies is available with Video On Demand at http://www.cowboyzombiesfilm.com
Director Winters describes CZ as a “zombie spaghetti western,” and with famed humorist Wilson in the copilot seat, this could have easily and successfully been accomplished. Sadly, CZ is spaghetti without the sauce; no mysterious stranger riding into town to educate the yokels on zombie eradication; humorously yet seriously leading the way to peace with other races, acceptance, understanding, and January/February 2014
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