Cucalorus Response

            My favorite film at Cucalorus this year was a film called Applesauce by Onur Tukel. The film was a well-written dark humor. The main character, played by writer/ director Onur, reveals that he accidentally severed a man’s fingers in college. After sharing his secret on a double-date, he gets a body part mailed to him. The body part packages increase as more exposed secrets begin to unravel his relationships. The film ends abruptly with the death of a friend and his girlfriend leaving him for his best friend. I felt the film really excelled in the areas of dialogue writing and acting. It felt remarkably natural for the situations that the characters were put in – no matter how strange they were, it still looked like it could really be happening. This is because of the inclusion of improvisation and the flexibility Onur had with actors modifying his dialogue. The only thing I didn't like about the film was that the ending sequences seemed rushed and didn't seem to fit within the world of the film. The odd circumstances that felt real for most of the film became very fake and suddenly lost their believability. I know you mentioned wanting to hear our personal experiences so I will add that I got to meet Onur a few times at the Jengo's after-parties, and it was really interesting. His personality was so exactly like the character he played in his film it was unreal. We talked for a bit in line for drinks (a line which happened to be around 40 minutes long). After a few minutes I tactfully offered to just get him the drink so he could mingle with more interesting and experienced filmmakers (I think I actually said this), since I was waiting anyway. He seemed relieved, left the line and lit up a cigarette, and I felt I was finally prepared for the industry slow climb I've been promised retrieving drinks and begging for jobs as a PA. I was really impressed as well by the Union Station theater at Cape Fear. Their new facilities are incredible, and I've heard their film program recently acquired a bunch of new film equipment. I noticed that film venues at Cucalorus seemed to each get a certain type of programming. For example Union Station got the most popular films, Jengo's playhouse was mostly local/ shorts/ performances, while the theater at level 9 showed very indie, almost experimental productions. I wonder if this is a result of projected audience sizes or if there are other, deeper reasons that go into venue selection.

     I was lucky enough to also make it to see the films Tag,  Men & Chicken, Stinking Heaven, the works in progress block that Walkerworld showed at, and the 10x10 Screening.
I also made it to the Tek Mountain Gathering, Visual Sound Walls, the Midnight Brunch, the Emcee Showcase, and the Closing Karaoke Party. I got to participate in the 10x10 challenge, which paired 10 filmmaking teams with 10 businesses. I know you asked for two screening reflections, but my 10x10 experience really made up the most of my time at Cucalorus. It was a whirlwhind, from being paired with two filmmakers I never met before, to being in a 15 person meeting with the Wilmington Jewish Film festival only minutes later. In that meeting we did everything from creating a marketing plan to conceptualizing our film, to actually writing out the script, scheduling interviews and shoots and exchanging contact info. We only had 4 days to deliver the product, but we had two shoot days and no time to get UNCW FST equipment or talk with locations beforehand. During the meeting, there were so many ideas and people we had never met that I actually suggested our film group leave for 10 minutes while the festival staff brainstormed important people to invite to a mock screening shoot. We briefly got to know each other and agree upon a concept with just the three of us, so that when we returned to the meeting we had a shared vision and knew what it would take to get us there. It was an incredible experience, and it allowed us all to have Pegasorus passes, so whenever I wasn't working on our 10x10, I was watching films and mingling at Cucalorus. I've included our video below if you're interested in watching! I had a great experience overall at Cucalorus, and I hope I can be this involved in it next year as well. I think I had a really unique experience, with getting a film I was a DP on into the program and being able to show this as well, it was just really different and fun for me.

Speaking of which, the screening went really well. It was fascinating to see how people responded to the Walkerworld documentary so much. Even though there were filmmakers from a few works in progress who had created really incredible films, all the questions that were asked were about Walkerworld. A lot of that was likely because Allen Walker and his family was present, but I also think there is something about Walkerworld that really resonates with creative people. I hope the film is able to successfully capture that essence, because I resonate with it as well. Talking about his ex-wife Allen says "I think relationships really have a duration, and we long outlived ours." This sums up his philosophy so well to me. Every relationship has a duration, but we don't like to think this way, as relationship driven creatures. Whether it's due to death or for some other reason, two people can't stay together forever. Allen's philosophy is so powerful because he doesn't think this should be a sad thing. He recognizes that spending years with someone is actually an accomplishment, and that it's something to be prized, not devalued. People put so much pressure on relationships that don't work, trying to force them to last forever, that they waste time being happy. Instead, you should be able to look at a past relationship as a great memory, as an accomplishment. There's something very freeing about accepting that no relationship is forever, and that you should spend your time with those that make you happiest while you are both happy. This lesson is so hard for people to learn, weather it is with friends or romantic relationships. It may feel like you've wasted time if you give up on a relationship, but really the only time you waste is the time you accept being unhappy with someone. While charismatic and fun, Allen is also a deep person that is skilled in self-reflection and can confront you with what you need to hear, in any department of life. He has helped me to adjust my own philosophies, and become much more mature in the process. Allen inspired me to do a lot of things that were out of my comfort zone, and he doesn't even know most of them. For one, I got a real upright piano from craigslist (for free) and got it tuned (for $120) and have been pursuing my dream of learning music theory and piano. Since then I've been watching music theory videos and recording more than ever by myself and with friends. Allen also helped me overcome my fear of entering the real world and graduating UNCW. He is living proof that if you do what makes you happy, and dedicate yourself to it without holding back, you can achieve it. That's probably the hardest lesson for anyone to learn. We're full of fear, from failure, not being enough, someone not liking what we create, not being successful enough, not having enough money, to not being happy. We're so afraid that we take the safe route, and live unfulfilling, normal lives. I've learned that even something small, like getting a piano and learning how to play it, can be the most motivating and door-opening experience ever. The film industry is a rough place to seek a career, and I am severely under qualified. But I'm not letting that stop me from getting the experience I need to get a job in my field and achieving my goals. 

09/28 Blog

9/27
     Earlier today, we reviewed the dailies from the week before last and put together a two minute showcase of our B-roll. The footage was my first attempt at using a DSLR rig - or really a rig of any kind. I felt that handheld footage was important because it introduces viewers to Walker World in a way similar to how people would actually experience it. It also isn't practical most of the time to walk around with a tripod, since most of the action would be missed during the process of setting up for the next shot. I had to practice walking steadily and pulling focus a lot. I feel like I really need to practice more because some shots are very jerky. When we rented the 7D from UNCW, I actually reconfigured the rig that came with the camera. I added a small piece of wood, a cushion, and a 2 pound weight to help balance out the rig.

     Here's me at walker world with it. I secured everything with wood screws, so the wood was firmly attached to the rig, and the weight was attached firmly to the wood. This small adjustment helped to quickly turn the schools tripod follow focus into something more suitable for use alone. 

     Another quick note about reviewing footage: The grain on the 7D is sometimes very bad, even in situations where it shouldn't be. I shot with the 7D and 24-70mm 2.8, kept my shutter speed at 60fps, aperture at (or close to) wide open / 2.8. I was using auto ISO most of the time, because the light outside was so patchy, so I was surprised to see how grainy the footage got even when there should have been plenty of light. That night, I even switched to my 50mm 1.4, but there still wasn't enough light to avoid the grain problem.

     

Andre Blog 1: Research

     As the DP of Walker World, I begin my research revisiting my favorite documentary film: Cutie and the Boxer. Making a film centered around artists presents a unique challenge in that film about art becomes art film. As our piece showcases Allen Walker's beautiful world, the expectation is that our art understands his and is able to meet him there. Cutie and the Boxer was successful in this partly because the crew animated Noriko Shinohara's still comics, breathing new life into the artwork and proving their grit as filmmakers at the same time. If we can't capture Walker's art in an artistic way, our film will appear an even more blatant failure. In other words, the stakes are high. I discovered this past summer that Walker World presents a plethora of opportunities for beautiful shots; a look at any of his cluttered walls pulls you into his world, slowing time for a few hours. The only thing better than hungrily scanning every surface is returning to reality and basking in beautiful moments: the music, the talent, the dim lights and happy guests, and most of all - the childlike smile a proud father flashes his own children. Our film replicates that experience, but in order to pull our viewers in we must do Walker World justice.

     In a sense, most of my research was completed framing and lighting interviews and compiling B-roll at Walker World this past summer. I had my first experience using a 12' crane and slider (which the Upperman African-American Cultural Center kindly lent me). My best friend/roommate Paige Blankenship and I also invested in a fluid head tripod, cheap CFL soft-box kit and a Zoom H6 which we used and lent to others as often as we could.

     With more experience under my belt, the pressure is on and the standards I set for myself rise higher and higher, which brings me back to Cutie and the Boxer. In my research, I discovered that this film tells the story of Ushio and Noriko Shinohara artfully in a few different ways. As I mentioned previously, animation showcases the skills of the crew and Noriko's artwork masterfully. Rich, saturated color grading, shallow depth of field and low-key lighting characterize the rest of the film. As a viewer, I was drawn to the deep hues, which represent the Shinohara's artwork in a powerful, clear way. The low key lighting hints at their emotionality, giving their expressions maximum legibility, while extreme close-ups with a very shallow depth-of-field draw me into their relationship and thoughts. The upbeat editing pace gives the film inertia and balance, between artwork and the Shinoharas relationship. These observations are helping to shape my own artistic vision for the film, too. I would like to focus more on extreme close-ups, and get plenty of B-roll so that we can keep our film's inertia in the edit. This film is such a strong example to study because a person's artwork is so deeply tied to their interpersonal relationships. Allen Walker is similar to the Shinoharas in many ways, and will draw upon some of the devices used in Cutie and the Boxer to tell his story and do his artwork justice. We are showcasing more than just the story of a man in Walker World. We're giving you a feeling, a mantra. One you forgot, but have known as long as you can remember. A hot, exciting, dangerous tingling that you can only experience when you realize that true freedom is still possible.