- Banned
- #1
Rick Darge
Banned
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2006
- Messages
- 3,775
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Age
- 44
Hey guys, I love you all. If it wasn't for Reduser, Jim, Jarred, the BOMB Squad, the rest of team Red and the amazing roster of users, people like me wouldn't be able to move as quickly & creatively throughout the filmmaking universe like I can now.
I am excited to announce a feature film that I wrote last summer & am now directing in early 2013. Over the years I've directed small shorts, music videos, web shows but have mainly made my living as a working cinematographer and a happily retired news editor. I came out here to direct when I was 18 and studied at USC film school. When I was 17, I co-wrote and directed a little high school movie about a group of friends who form a band in order to get laid, but they no nothing about playing music, so ultimately fail humorously. We made the film with a little Canon hi8 camera that I slaved hours for, working underage at a Dairy Queen when I was 14. The film was a local favorite and that success launched me into the exciting life I have now.
It took me a good 10 years to find the right time and place in my life to tackle my next, real feature and this time and place is right now.
I recently turned 30 and a few days prior, I had an idea for a full length. The basic pitch is this, It's about a guy who's never had the balls or opportunity or means to leave Southern California. Having grown up here his entire life, he's about to hit that pivotal age where people begin to ask questions like, why don't you have family? Why don't you have a house? Why don't you have an investment plan? Fed up, disillusioned and partly inspired by a co-workers sudden and immediate suicide, our hero decides to travel to the Brooklyn Bridge in one month to celebrate his 30th birthday with a coin toss. If it's heads, he jumps. If it's tails, he begins a new life in a city he's only dreamed of living in. Along the journey he discovers love, guidance, real people, America and ultimately himself.
We plan to shoot this film with a very small unit of amazingly talented people across the 3000+ mile trek to Brooklyn. We will shoot on my Red Epic, Red One MX, the Director of Photography's Scarlet, a few GoPro3s, Canon k35 speeds, Angenieux beauties, lite panels and car rigs, and a BMCC for artistic cutaways. We are going to shoot this like a doc even though there is a solid script that we are following. Think Dogma95 principles on the open road. This will be true indie filmmaking at its finest and a experience that will last a lifetime for not only the cast and crew, but hopefully the audience as well.
So Why am I wasting your time to bring all this up?
Right now we are in the very infancy of the pre-production process. We are documenting our steps along the way and moving towards a goal of creating something special. Just like when I wired $1000 to Red to save my spot for a Red One back when a Red One was just an 'idea', it was exciting to me because I got to watch the progress of this camera come together and not only exceed beyond my wildest dreams, but also capture the hearts and minds of so many others like me. An answer to our cinematic prayers. That was exciting and I want the process of my film Zen Dog to shoot out those same rays of excitement as we progress through this journey.
A website will be active very soon at www.zendogmovie.com so stay tuned for that.
In the meantime, we have a simple facebook page that provides daily updates on our progress. So if you want to tune in a be digital wallflower, we'd love to share.. http://www.facebook.com/zenddog?ref=ts&fref=ts
If you're not the facebook type, we also have a daily updated instagram picture feeds showing the casting process, re-writing process, props, gear, locations, etc. at @zendogmovie
We will also be launching a KICKSTARTER campaign in a few weeks with lots of new and interesting things that I don't think I've ever seen anyone on Kickstarter do before. So stay tuned about that as well.
One last note. The main character has no transportation at the start of the film. So when he decides to make this journey he buys a random used car with a pop-top. This car not only becomes a "character" in the film, but it also mystically provides our lead with a series of worn, un-labeled audio casette tapes nestled in the way back of the trunk. One of these cassettes is a compilation mix of the works of the late ALAN WATTS. If you are not familiar with ALAN WATTS, I suggest you google him and listen to the amazingly simple things he speaks about. We recently found out that Mark Watts, his son, is a fan of the film and wants to work with us to use pieces of Watts material throughout the movie, adding a whole other dimension of mystical realism.
I couldn't be more excited and I couldn't have more joy knowing that this project will be shot on the best camera system in the universe!
Thank you Jim and thank you Redusers. I'm ready to jump off the bridge and make my dreams come true and I would love all your support!
This is Day Zero
:lurk5:
I am excited to announce a feature film that I wrote last summer & am now directing in early 2013. Over the years I've directed small shorts, music videos, web shows but have mainly made my living as a working cinematographer and a happily retired news editor. I came out here to direct when I was 18 and studied at USC film school. When I was 17, I co-wrote and directed a little high school movie about a group of friends who form a band in order to get laid, but they no nothing about playing music, so ultimately fail humorously. We made the film with a little Canon hi8 camera that I slaved hours for, working underage at a Dairy Queen when I was 14. The film was a local favorite and that success launched me into the exciting life I have now.
It took me a good 10 years to find the right time and place in my life to tackle my next, real feature and this time and place is right now.
I recently turned 30 and a few days prior, I had an idea for a full length. The basic pitch is this, It's about a guy who's never had the balls or opportunity or means to leave Southern California. Having grown up here his entire life, he's about to hit that pivotal age where people begin to ask questions like, why don't you have family? Why don't you have a house? Why don't you have an investment plan? Fed up, disillusioned and partly inspired by a co-workers sudden and immediate suicide, our hero decides to travel to the Brooklyn Bridge in one month to celebrate his 30th birthday with a coin toss. If it's heads, he jumps. If it's tails, he begins a new life in a city he's only dreamed of living in. Along the journey he discovers love, guidance, real people, America and ultimately himself.
We plan to shoot this film with a very small unit of amazingly talented people across the 3000+ mile trek to Brooklyn. We will shoot on my Red Epic, Red One MX, the Director of Photography's Scarlet, a few GoPro3s, Canon k35 speeds, Angenieux beauties, lite panels and car rigs, and a BMCC for artistic cutaways. We are going to shoot this like a doc even though there is a solid script that we are following. Think Dogma95 principles on the open road. This will be true indie filmmaking at its finest and a experience that will last a lifetime for not only the cast and crew, but hopefully the audience as well.
So Why am I wasting your time to bring all this up?
Right now we are in the very infancy of the pre-production process. We are documenting our steps along the way and moving towards a goal of creating something special. Just like when I wired $1000 to Red to save my spot for a Red One back when a Red One was just an 'idea', it was exciting to me because I got to watch the progress of this camera come together and not only exceed beyond my wildest dreams, but also capture the hearts and minds of so many others like me. An answer to our cinematic prayers. That was exciting and I want the process of my film Zen Dog to shoot out those same rays of excitement as we progress through this journey.
A website will be active very soon at www.zendogmovie.com so stay tuned for that.
In the meantime, we have a simple facebook page that provides daily updates on our progress. So if you want to tune in a be digital wallflower, we'd love to share.. http://www.facebook.com/zenddog?ref=ts&fref=ts
If you're not the facebook type, we also have a daily updated instagram picture feeds showing the casting process, re-writing process, props, gear, locations, etc. at @zendogmovie
We will also be launching a KICKSTARTER campaign in a few weeks with lots of new and interesting things that I don't think I've ever seen anyone on Kickstarter do before. So stay tuned about that as well.
One last note. The main character has no transportation at the start of the film. So when he decides to make this journey he buys a random used car with a pop-top. This car not only becomes a "character" in the film, but it also mystically provides our lead with a series of worn, un-labeled audio casette tapes nestled in the way back of the trunk. One of these cassettes is a compilation mix of the works of the late ALAN WATTS. If you are not familiar with ALAN WATTS, I suggest you google him and listen to the amazingly simple things he speaks about. We recently found out that Mark Watts, his son, is a fan of the film and wants to work with us to use pieces of Watts material throughout the movie, adding a whole other dimension of mystical realism.
I couldn't be more excited and I couldn't have more joy knowing that this project will be shot on the best camera system in the universe!
Thank you Jim and thank you Redusers. I'm ready to jump off the bridge and make my dreams come true and I would love all your support!
This is Day Zero
:lurk5:
