NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Frank Kelly

By Kelly Strodl 

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 Meet Frank Kelly, writer/director/producer of 140, a unique and groundbreaking new film inspired by the cultural phenomenon of Twitter and social media, which is way up my alley!

In the film, 140 filmmakers in 140 locations worldwide at the same time shoot 140 seconds of footage to demonstrate how connection through new technology and social networking are shaping our modern world, using such websites such as Twitter. Made with the work of a range of filmmakers – from students to seasoned industry professionals, bare-bones indie to successful Hollywood directors – the marching orders were to film whatever it is that connected them to their respective homes in 140 seconds of continuous footage. The footage tells their stories, assembled into a feature length montage of poignant visual moments – the exact same moments captured all across our planet.

Q: How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

A: I've been aware of Newport Beach Film Festival for several years, I first heard about it in 2006 when I was researching festival for my first short film EMILY’S SONG. It has continually been recommended to me by other filmmakers as a great festival, so I feel privileged and lucky to finally be screening here, at it being the World Premiere of what is in effect my first feature is extra special.

 

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it. 

A: 140 is an experimental documentary. I was inspired by Twitter, with it's conciseness and unique way of communicating to a lot of people at once. So I decided to gather 140 people in 140 locations worldwide to shoot 140 seconds of footage simultaneously. The theme was connection, I asked them to film whatever it was that connected them to their home. At 8pm on June 21st 2009 I keyed in "ACTION!!!" on my cell phone, 139 other filmmakers worldwide received that message via twitter and we all started shooting at the same time, it was quite a buzz! 

Most of the filmmakers sent their footage back, admittedly not all did and some of the people who signed up seemed to drop off the face of the planet, they didn't send any footage and stopped return my calls and emails, which I suppose is indicative of the internet, not everyone is who they say they are and some people sign up to things without taking it seriously, perhaps not realizing they may be taking a spot from someone who really wanted to be involved, disappointing. But I got well over 100 clips, enough to cut together an 80 minute documentary, so I count the project as a success over all.

The challenge then was to cut that footage. Luckily what I thought might happen did, in that themes began to emerge, family, home, environment, nature, water... so I cut to that. A flow began to emerge and with the songs and music by the likes of Dermot O'Mahony, Eoin McCabe and Johnny Crean, it tied it all together and what you have is a visual montage of thoughtful, poignant and personal moments.

 

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.

A: I've been addicted to films for as long as I can remember. The first film I remember seeing was JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS at age 4, in my Grandmother's house. I recall my mother taking me aside to watch HARVEY at a young age and my Dad letting me stay up late to watch BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID - so I guess I akin film to family, as they've always been link (in fact I met my wife because of a film! My first short, she was the film coordinator at the Heartland Film Festival where EMILY’S SONG won a Crystal Heart Award!)

But it wasn't until I saw BACK TO THE FUTURE for the first time, at age 9, that I thought: "I want to do that!" I watched that movie about 500 times (no joke!) Sometimes 3 times a day! At age 11 I tried to remake it, drafting in the local kids, calling the council to ask if I could suspend a cable from the clock toward - they said no, the film never happened ;^)

I studied Animation Production in College and then went to Australia for a year, while there I wrote a feature screenplay, came home and spoke to a family friend about trying to make it. The script was problematic, not great, but from it I struck up a writing partnership with said friend, Thomas Kennedy and we wrote EMILY’S SONG together – my first short. And I've been making films ever since.

 

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)

A: As an experimental Doc there were no actors. I suppose in terms of set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, there were a lot. 

Set backs: it took a long time to get all the clips in. Filmmakers just got distracted on other projects, which is understandable, so I had to chase a lot of the clips down. I set the deadline for clip for August 2009, I eventually got the last one in January of this year. Working with all the different formats was time consuming, having to convert them to files that would work together in FCP. I also had a baby in the middle of it... not that that was a set back, but it delayed things a bit.

Triumphs: I think the whole project was a triumph. It could have fallen flat on it's face. There was every chance I wouldn’t get the filmmakers, every chance they wouldn’t complete the task, every chance the footage would be unusual, boring, flat, uninteresting... but that wasn't the case at all. I was thrilled with the effort people had put in and the quality of the material. And how personal it all was, it's a very personal film.

Impressions: As above, just how personal the clips were. You really get to see it people's lives, intimate moments the these filmmakers have been willing to share with the world for this film.

Good Surprises: Again, the quality of clips. And how enthusiastic people have been about the idea. It's been very encouraging. When working all hours on my own trying to get this done it's been a constant source of energy to see, hear and feel that people are behind the film.

 

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?

A: When I'm not making films, actually shooting, I'm writing. Everyday. I have several other projects in development, with other filmmakers. A couple of shorts, a feature script and I'm developing a new idea to take 140 to another level. So I’m always busy with film.

Otherwise I spend as much time as I can with my wife and daughter. She came along half way through the making of this film, and honestly I was worried, I thought I would have to hang up my filmmakers hat. But it's totally the opposite, what she has brought is a whole other level of love that I never knew existed, that only other parents will understand - because I had no idea before! She also filled my with new found enthusiasm for life and work, I want to achieve so much more now, as much for her as well as for me.


140 screens at 8 PM on Friday, April 23 at the Edwards Island Theater 6. Buy ticket here:

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256746

Read more about the film and Kelly by following the links below:

www.140faq.blogspot.com

www.frankkelly.blogspot.com

Watch the tralier here:

 

Posted by Kelly Strodl
 

NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Marc Roussel

By Kelly Strodl

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Today I talked with Marc Roussel, writer/director/producer of REMOTE, from Red Sneakers Media.

The film follows Matt, who loses his cable during a severe snowstorm. He's left with channel after channel of static, until he comes across a station that is the mirror image of his apartment, but 30 years in the past. Matt soon discovers that he can communicate with Justine, a young woman residing in the apartment on the television. As the two get to know each other, Matt discovers that Justine died on that very night 30 years ago. Can he change her fate? 

The film stars Ron Basch, Sarah Silverthorne, George Komorowski, Peter Racanelli and Julie McCarthy.


Q: How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

A: We received an invite to submit to Newport Beach after REMOTE screened at Palm Springs Shortfest last June.

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.

A: REMOTE is a 20 minute sci-fi horror film about a severe snowstorm that brings past and present together when Matt, in the year 2008, finds himself communicating with Justine, in the year 1978, through his TV screen after his cable signal gets knocked out. Over the course of the night a shocking revelation is made that threatens one of their lives. To say anymore would give away the shocking surprises and that's the best part about watching REMOTE with an audience.

The most challenging aspect of the shoot were the TV screens. Having characters speaking to each other through television sets in two different time periods meant a longer than normal shoot schedule for a short film. We shot the 1978 footage first. Sarah Silverthorne played Justine, and had to play all her scenes kneeling on the floor staring directly into the camera lens. Ron Basch played Matt, and he sat off camera reading his lines to her. Then production took a hiatus while I went off and edited all Sarah's footage into playback DVDs. Production began 2 weeks later, the set redressed for 2008, with Ron acting out his side of the conversation to Sarah's edited footage. This left very little room for Ron to adlib, his timing had to be perfect. And it was!

In total, we shot the film over 8 days. 1 day of snowstorm exteriors. 1 day of spring exteriors. 2 days for the 1978 footage. 2 days for the 2008 footage. 1 day for TV screen shooting and 1 day for pick ups. So, that’s 8 days across 5 months.

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.

A: I tried film school, a couple times, before quitting to find work in production. I figured it made more sense to learn on the job. And, to be honest, technology wasn't yet there to make it affordable for me to make my own films. I worked various jobs in the Toronto film and television scene until I found the one place I knew I could learn how to make films, the editing room. I worked as an assistant editor for years on a number of TV series, TV movies and feature films, and have had the opportunity to work with some of Canada's best talents behind the camera who have all taught me so much about the craft. Editing gave me the confidence to go out and start making my own films. REMOTE was my fifth short film and since its completion I have shot two more, REWIND MY LOVE and THE ELUSIVE MAN (coming to film festivals this year!)

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)

A: Ron Basch was not only the lead but also REMOTE's producer. Together we own and operate Red Sneakers Media. REMOTE was a tough shoot for him. It was very technical and cumbersome because of the TV screen. Double duty is never easy but he did a wonderful job and has one of the best, most shocking moments in the film.

The minute I met Sarah Silverthorne at the audition I knew she was Justine. She had the right look and conveyed the innocence and strength the part needed. I did not want Justine to be just another victim. Plus, she was a real trooper who never complained and worked hard, no matter how much blood we threw at her.

There are 3 other actors in the film that play crucial roles that cannot be divulged without giving away plot details, thus ruining the surprise. First is George Komorowski, who is relatively new to acting. He's a retired school teacher who is a natural, and he'll tell you himself that teaching is acting. He was a real surprise for me. He brought a dimension to the character I didn't anticipate. Watching him on set deliver my lines brought a shiver up my spine I'll never forget. Since REMOTE he has gone on to star in a Canadian TV series called THREE CHORDS FROM THE TRUTH, for which he won a Gemini award and recently top-lined my newest short film THE ELUSIVE MAN.

Then there is Peter Racanelli, who is one of the funniest guys I know, playing a very dark character. To watch him switch personalities between setups was amazing. And he kept us laughing during very long, tense days of shooting.

Julie McCarthy came in to play a very small but crucial role at the end of the film and was able to deliver so much emotion with so few lines. A beautiful performance.

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?

A: When I'm not making my own films I'm working on other people's films. And when I'm not doing that, I'm spending time with my wife and family. And when they are all asleep, I'm writing my next project.

REMOTE screens on Friday, April 23 at 3:30 PM as part of the OH CANADA program at the Edwards Island Theater 2.

Buy ticket here:
http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256880

Or watch the trailer on YouTube, here:

Posted by Kelly Strodl
 

NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Christian Sesma

Over the next two weeks we’ll be talking with a handful of filmmakers showing their work at the 2010 Newport Beach Film Festival. We ask each filmmaker a quick five questions about - them, their career, their film, their actors and what they do when not behind the camera.

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Today’s film, SHOOT THE HERO, rocks the house with a Tarantino style action comedy, and a pinch of mistaken identity. In the film, couple Nate and Kate are thrown into the middle of an armed heist while out shopping for matching wedding rings. Soon tension between the robbers becomes a full-fledged gunfight, and the aftermath is a jewelry store full of bodies and bullet shells with only Nate and Kate surviving. Meanwhile, on a desolate stretch of desert road, two slackers, find themselves stranded when their beat-up ride sputters out of gas. It all hits the fan when the two stories converge in a deserted town, where all four find themselves in the clutches of a ruthless gangster, and the night quickly unfolds into an all-out gun battle. 

I talked with director Christian Sesma and threw him our quick five-question shoot out. Here’s what he had to say:

 

Q: How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

A: I heard of the film fest through Samantha Lockwood, the leading lady of SHOOT THE HERO, and also just through the film festival circuit buzz. I'm from SoCal, so I know of all the good fests going on. There's really only a handful here in California.

 

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.

A: The story of any movie is always pretty amazing. And I guess, ours is no different.  After my 2nd feature, a teen horror indie called ON BLOODY SUNDAY (Warner Home Video) I needed to keep the ball rolling and came up with a concept to make 3 short films that all form one cohesive story and make it for nothing. I also wrote it as a way to showcase all the elements of a mini mainstream studio flick (romance, action, comedy).. And when we began sending out the script it generated some real interest with some cool genre talent actors (Jason Mewes and Danny Trejo). We were fortunate that Producer Denise Dubarry took it on and believed in the marketability of a cool Action/Comedy indie. I knew that at that low-budget level no one was making action/comedy indie films, much less with actors that have such HUGE cult followings, so we set out to make a fun lil' flick for the film geek/internet guys (which includes me LOL). So, as it does, the snowball became bigger and SHOOT THE HERO became my first real movie with a decent low-budget and some great, great talent. We shot the film in 12 days, all in mine and Denise's hometown of Palm Springs, Ca. The community really came out in full force to support us.

 

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking. 

A: I've been a movie geek since day 1. I didn't go to film school. I graduated San Diego State University with a degree in Cultural Anthropology. And in 2003, after a ruptured appendix landed me in a hospital bed for 4 weeks, I came across famed filmmaker Robert Rodgriguez's 10-minute film school article and it was there that I decided I was going to take a shot at making a short film. So 6 months later I picked up a camera and made a short film that landed on the short film fest circuit, right off the bat. I followed it with a second action/suspense short, and in 2005, made my first indie no-budget film called SIX-THIRTY, a teen thriller that got picked up for DVD distribution in 2006. After that, I made a teen horror film called ON BLOODY SUNDAY, in 2008, for Warner Home Video and then came my break out with SHOOT THE HERO in 2009. I followed that with a Latino comedy, IM NOT LIKE THAT NO MORE, starring famed comedian Paul Rodriguez, which is hitting limited theatrical release on April 23rd, in 20 cities. Currently I'm about to enter pre-production on really kick-ass genre action film called DEEP RED that I co-wrote with fellow SHOOT THE HERO star Paul Sloan, set to shoot in New Mexico in June.

 

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)

A: SHOOT THE HERO is unique in that it gives Jason Mewes the leading man role. Now, everyone knows Jason as "Jay" from Jay and Silent Bob in the Kevin Smith films (Clerks, Clerks 2, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, etc. etc...), and I wanted to give him his first serious role outside of that persona. Samantha Lockwood, as his fiancée, was an amazing leading lady, and those two together give it a real quirky rom-com feel. What I’m sure audiences will walk away talking about is the 2nd Act stars (the film is written around two separate stories that come together in the 3rd act) are the bickering comedy duo called THE SMITH BROTHERS played by Nic Nac Nicotera and Mike Hatton. Those two guys are hilarious, and we had such a great time with them improving. And then, of course, once we reach the 3rd part of the film, Danny Trejo as bad guy "Crazy Joe". Now the other cool part of SHOOT THE HERO i think is the memorable supporting roles that come from other widely recognizable faces in Nick Turturro, Fred "the Hammer" Williamson, Taylor Negron and even HBO's late night sex pot Katie Morgan. I think that every 10-15 minutes in this film you're being introduced to actors you recognize along this mini rollercoaster ride. And again, we shot in this in 12 days on an extremely tight budget so these actors had their work cut out for them.

 

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?

A: When I’m not actually in production on a project, I’m extremely hard at work writing, trying to get another project off the ground. I’m 100% committed to becoming the next mainstream writer/director...but in all seriousness I’m always catching new movies, hanging with the family and just really loving life, trying to enjoy all it has to offer!

Catch SHOOT THE HERO at this year’s festival: Wednesday, April 28th @ 5:30 p.m. inside Edwards Islands Theater 1

Buy tickets here:

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256906

Watch the trailer for SHOOT THE HERO here: 

By Kelly Strodl

Posted by Kelly Strodl