To Watch: The Water Diviner. (Russell Crowe Director).

[Robert Hart]

The financial model must be a bit weird. I know the confectionary and coffee shops pull nearly as much money than the admission price. I'm old enough to qualify for the wrinkly discount. If I buy the concession card for $10, I can get in for all the movies I want for one calender year for $10 a throw. Not sure how too many of those would affect their margins.

 

[Wayne Morellini]

I think they get very little net but cleanup on the confectionery, I mean 5x the price for popcorn, ice cream and drinks compared to what they could sell it for. .look at Hungry Jacks (Burger King) large froze. Coke for $1, but even a dnsll one us more than $5 at these places. I went into the cheapest cinema chain in the country, its near where I stay in Brisbane (and Kevin ). I got the ticket, drink, ice cream and popcorn fur something like $13 (crazy I know, but holidays and I can't normally afford to buy that) that's much less tthe normal ticket price. I know that where I am they spent like half a million, or millions, refitting cinemas to keep them up and the competition out, we gave thee sites and something like 18 screens for a population of 140 thousand, plus tourists, own by one company within ten minutes if each other. We had a far better cinema, the Cinema Capri that had to close down, they had trouble getting top films in quick fashion (I think terminator 2 was three to six weeks in the other cinemas before they got it years ago). It was originally boardville theater, but now is a backpackers. A loss, it had been done in the nicest 70's style, truly the best I've seen I think (maybe nostalgia has clouded my mind too). The ironic (saying it ironically) thing is that the chain had complained when the competition wanted to open up locally, saying that it would be too many screens for the market, but then expanded to more screens than the competitor was going to introduce a few years latter.

Anyway, these great refurb cisrs and maintaining so many screens, must really eat into their profits like a hit knife through butter.

The truth may well be, that extra bums on seats that might nit vome there at $18 a ticket, firms up the bottom line.

 

[Wayne Morellini]

Anyway, what I forgot to mention about the industry model to save it, is to reasonably use computers.

Back in the 80's/90's I wanted to do my own computer movie, using forms of motion capture (when I actually did 3D graphics I shockingly found most if the obvious tools I was dreaming if didn't exist or were only starting, and it wasn't until Avatar that they started to catch up with my ideas, the way they did 3D graphics before that was a bit primitive). But an idea I had was to do a lot if stuff grernsfrern, which they latter did I byte Spy Kid films, and I see they extensively where using in Battle Star Galituca Blood and Chrome, which being so used to these things you forget they aren't real sets. A Freund if mine back in the Spy Kid period was keen on just going it green screen low budget, but I knew that it just cost heaps, but now it is different. Another old idea of mine was for a public domain. Industry database if 3D objects, and I'll add animatikns, textyres , and routines. Now these objects etc can be freelyadded to and used. With the right software and processing facilities, as well as smart software that helps do it fur you quickly, scenes can be made (and copied from physical models and photos etc) cheaply and quickly. That us what the industry can do to get $100 million dollars + films down to 10 million, and ten million+ down toa million+. This would greatly iimprove Australian film.

I've also come up with ideas for inventions that will reduce crewing down to a few people, and speed up production time, people these says are just starting to do some if it, but I want to be paid for it. I'll split this post into another, it is starting to get long.

 

[Wayne Morellini]

Robert, I'm contemplating making my own science fiction film, for a few thousand (mostly equipment). It will revolve around a single actor. I'm thinking of calling it "Light", but I think there is already an Australian science fiction film by that nane. The issue is to get a camera with the dynamic range and bit depth to easily film and adjust exposure to desired effect in post. Problem is, I have two seperate older projects with simular name, or deserving to have the same name. I am fortunate anyway, that such camera technology is starting to come forth to do this. However. I could write a novel.in the sane time. Once things are set up and camera rehersed, I could film it in a week ("could" but let's see how many months it takes )..

 

[Robert Hart]

Foreshortened shooting schedules have been tried over here in the West with a series titled "Streetsmartz" for children's half-hour episodic television. It was an evolution to meet a shooting environment the direct opposite to yours. The location was the City of Fremantle itself.

I think there were a couple of fixed anchor locations including a cafe interior but much was shot on the streets. For practical reasons the shoot for an entire episode would occur on a Friday and all the prep on the preceding days of a calendar week. They had I think four ADs who would follow up on members of the public who walked through the shots to get signed releases. They would even second them into the performnce and the actors immediately improvise around them.

A unique system of coaching the actors and enabling to learn their lines was devised by Casting Director Annie Murtagh-Monks. She wrote a university thesis on it and the system was adopted by a similar project in Germany. The system appeared to be superficially similar to some trauma counselling techniques. I won't go into more observed detail as it is proprietory and Annie still licences it I think.

I understand that the series prep required taut self-discipline, challenged actors to learn their entire episode for the one day shoot but be agile enough to interact, improvise and develop a scenario with a spontaneous situation in the street if it occurred. Not all actors can cope with this, nor crew for that matter.

Your script would have to be locked down. Your actor would have to be cool with doing the entire performance in long takes. You might be better served by casting a stage live-performance actor accustomed to long performances and ability to fudge, improvise and recover if something stuffs up. You would need a coach to be a back-up for the actor if the performance is too strong and stagey as compared to the more subtle requirements of cinema.

Most importantly, you are going to have to pick you own directorial role and stick with it. If you are inclined to take refuge in the tech and on the surface of things I suspect you may be seduced by the tech, you will need to have a strong performance-oriented AD to direct the actor or the actor is going to have to be incredibly resourceful and able to self-direct for you. I suspect this might then risk some level of creative conflict as you may have an alpha personality on your hands. This is not a bad thing so long as you audition and cast very carefully. You may have to live with your blond-haired baby of a script morphing into one with flaming red hair.

With an upcoming feature, "The Pineville Heist", whilst the writer-director was trying to get the project bankrolled and ready to go, he novelised and published his script. In the process he discovered that novelising was not only a handy promotional tool, the process took him into another better draft of the screenplay.

At one point teen actor Booboo Stewart had committed but this was eventually not to be. Time passed. Rather than see the project languish or be too long deferred for want of more provident backing, he went ahead with a more modest budget and resources. It is looking good thus far and is in post-production.

I think there are some behind-the-scenes extras either on the DVD or on youtube related to George Clooney's remake of "Five Minutes To Midnight". They shot that in a near continuous take. The objective was to replicate as near as possible, the energetic dynamic tension of the original live-to-air teleplay, which was attributed to the stressor of actors having to deliver without the traditional safety net of a cut and try again process.


Good luck with your project and keep us informed. Listen to the inputs of others on this topic as I am far from competent in this.

 

[Wayne Morellini]

I think I remember streets smartz, it started years ago with an early over saturated Sony eng camera by the look of it. I can't remember much about it except the actors acting stood out, now I know.

I agree this is good, and requires special people to be able to do that.ImI'm more s rehearse it well till you don't look like your acting and perform around it as you know it do well it becomes unobstructive.They have chsnged pstent law on business patents in some jurisdiction. I find it incredible anybody still HSS rights on these things. I'm very interested. One way I've found useful in some things is to do things slowly and articulately to kearn it.

Anyway, I plan on using shorter takes and lots of reversal. It is ambitious and I'm probably better off doing novels, but it is interesting.

I agree with much of what you say. I'm a tech person so a bit of s novice at this as well. However, apart from a good camera with low noise and great exposure (maybe a BMD with fat fast speed boosted lens might do it suitable, but a Sony sensor is another option). I. Concentrating on script and acting,good framing and the rest is just as important, but zinc don't want to be bogged down with secondary filming effect considerations.

This might go well with my other color series I'm interested in, I hoped I wrote the style outline of those movies down.

 

[Wayne Morellini]

I'm running down on battery, so I've split thus post. I'm very interested in the rehearsal abd priduction style used on the. BBC comedy series, Coupling and the series Star trek enterprise, which was rather cinematic in notable performances. They more agree with the work ethic I'm interested in. However, I'm looking at rehearsing every shot and performance beforehand, to get them down pat and sublime so on the day shots are better.

You talk about shooting an episode in one day, but programs like Blue healers where shooting in three days, plus the weekend if needed. I think. So Street Smartz wasn't far off industry practice for an half an hour tv series, except they had over double the time to rehearse on a five day week, but I imagine the child actors had less time with school etc.

Thanks for the advice again Robert.


Wayne.