SWAT

Photo by Scott Lovejoy

This past weekend I shot a SWAT training video. I had no idea what to expect save for the fact that the tactical guys (the ones who break down doors) were going to be in full gear and they were going to be running a major scenario.

The shoot took place in an abandoned prison in southern Massachusetts. Dave, the trainer who was kind enough to tour us around the place, swore that the prison was haunted and that he got the creeps from time to time. This coming from a military trainer! Yikes!

The presence of cameras was a surprise to the SWAT team members. There was a little grumbling, but they took it in stride. Then the training began; a 911 call on a domestic dispute. An officer investigated the scene and had a gun waved in his face. He left the scene and SWAT got called in. What do you do..... GO!

It was really intense. I spent most of the time with the negotiating team, and it was riveting. When I first heard that everything was simulated, I was like "There's no way they can take this seriously. I mean, it's just pretend." But they DID take it seriously, and at many moments, I completely forgot that it was a training session. When certain "plot twists" occured, I remember thinking, "No way... they're totally screwed now." It was really amazing.

In addition to the training video, I hope to edit a 2-3min experimental documentary on the subject. Keep watch for it. And there's word that more SWAT sessions will be occurring in the future! I can't wait.

Book Review - Being Hal Ashby

I often read filmmaker biographies with the foolish hope of discovering elusive secrets of the masters. When I heard about "Being Hal Ashby" by Nick Dawson, I couldn't wait to read it. I'm a huge fan of Hal Ashby based on Being There and Harold and Maude alone, but his career and life story have been somewhat of an enigma. I want to thank Nick Dawson for filling in this major gap in film history.

While the book doesn't contain any elusive directorial secrets of Hal Ashby, there are some important lessons that aspiring filmmakers should acknowledge. In a nutshell, Ashby was a hippie workaholic who consistently sacrificed his personal life in favor of his films. All artists struggle with the balance between work, art and life, and I think Ashby's life is a cautionary tale. He went went through five wives and struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. He made some amazing work, but the personal toll in his life seems hardly worth it.

The narrative of Ashby's rise to director is a nice counterpoint to the "wonderkid director" phenomenon that has been so dominant for the last three decades. Ashby began as a 3rd assistant editor and slowly climbed up the ranks. He soon rose to primary editor and developed reputation in the industry as a dedicated and creative editor, winning an academy award 1n 1968 for In The Heat of the Night. During this time, he began a working relationship with director Norman Jewison. The partnership developed to the point where Ashby became associate producer on a number of projects, and ultimately resulted in Jewison stepping up the plate and producing Ashby's first directorial project, The Landlord.


This is one of those "fantasy scenarios" that editors with directorial aspirations drool over (myself included). The communal element of film production is one of my favorite parts of the process, and hearing stories of collaborators pulling each other up as they rise up the ranks is inspiring.

I was struck by the portrayal of Ashby's directorial style, which was laid back and calm. He let the actors do their thing and when an adjustment needed to be made, he would quietly offer some advice. Again, I appreciate this counterpoint example to the "screaming genius" model of directing.

After an amazing run of films; The Landlord, Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, Shampoo, and Being There, his career was derailed by an increasingly business oriented Hollywood and a new breed of executives. It is both sad and frightening that the career of such a talented and respected director could be destroyed like that. But it would be naive of me to think otherwise of the Hollywood machine.

Definitely check out "Being Hal Ashby" and if you haven't seen any of his films, shoot them up to the top of your Netflix cue. They're amazing. Enjoy.

Making Media Now 2009

This past Friday, I attended the Making Media Now 2009 conference at Bentley College. This being 2009, the panels and attendees were abuzz about Social Media and its impact on the documentary world. Many of the speakers were notable in their ability to harness social media to build audiences, raise funds, and distribute their work. One couldn't help but leave with an overwhelming sense of empowerment.

Robert Greenwald firmly established the social media theme with his keynote address. He emphasized the absolute necessity for filmmakers to have their own website and an active presence on facebook and twitter. He also noted important changes in successful production/distribution models. Raising money is more difficult, yet films are cheaper to produce than ever before. The traditional system of gatekeepers has fallen, providing an unparalleled opportunity for filmmakers to manage their own careers. However, the result forces filmmakers to devote more time and resources to marketing and distribution than the actual production required.

Strategies to navigate this ever-changing landscape were discussed in the followup Affinity Marketing Panel with Sandi DuBowski, Karen Laverty, and Anne Zeiser (Azure Media). Sandi outlined his strategy in which he thinks of everyone he meets as a potential partner/collaborator/advocate. He had a ton of great advice; filmmakers need to be as creative in their marketing as they are in the creating of their film; always retain the right to sell your own DVDs of your film; establish clear goals before you dive into social networking. Karen demonstrated how NOVA was utilizing social media, often releasing extra material on youtube prior to the release of a film. Robert reiterated that social media should be thought of as a conversation, rather than broadcasting out a single point of view.

The Creative Funding panel became more of a pitch session of the three foundations present; Grantmakers in Film & Electronic Media, The Fledgling Fund, and Creative Capital. There was one golden nugget of information in the panel. Most foundations are issue driven and will only fund projects that further their particular issue. When applying, you need to understand that your film is simply one component to pushing that issue. Social Media, blogging, traditional press, and relationships with organizations focused on the same issue are all important and need to be cohesively integrated with your film. While I don't make issue films, this idea expand thinking beyond the film and to all the efforts swirling around is extremely good to know.

The Successful Media Makers in Difficult Times drew back from the social media theme. All three panelists seemed to be working in more traditional models; independent feature films and network television. The panel included film director Jim Jermanok, Joel Olicker of Powderhouse Productions, and Kate Raisz of 42 Degrees North. After giving short narratives of their own paths to success, a wave of small pieces of advice descended on the audience. Be your own producer. Don't rely on anyone. Agents/managers are not a cure-all. Keep in touch with everyone you ever meet. Create a personal 1yr-2yr-5yr plan. Be selective with whom you work (ie the no asshole rule). Think big.

By the end of the conference, I tried to sum up the collective wisdom with the following: Produce good work. Find supporters. Build relationships. Establish patrons. And keep at it.

Making Media Now was a fantastic conference and I'm looking forward to attending next year!