To Kill a RockStar - A Film by Preston Jarvis

[preston]

http://www.prestonjarvis.com/images/RockStar-web.jpg

Screenplay is finished. Hopefully shooting will begin this weekend.

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PorchWax Films Presents
To Kill A Rock Star

Click this link to view film:
http://www.dvxuser.com/dramafest/loa...laRockStar.mov (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/../dramafest/loader.php?id=preston-PrestonJarvis-ToKillaRockStar.mov)

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CAST:

Erik Canobi (Rock Star) - James Liston
Cali Lace (Rock Star's wife) - Lon Martin
Roy Washington - David Jerome

[VersuS]

Hey! Nice poster! Good luck!

[jeremytuttle]

Interesting poster, good luck with the shoot. Also, you spelled Directed, Dirested.

Edit: Fixed

[Larry R]

Nice..looking forward to it.

[VersuS]

maybe it's a mix of directed/arrested

[preston]

Interesting poster, good luck with the shoot. Also, you spelled Directed, Dirested.

fixed.

yeah, I'm an idiot. :)

[Ted Arabian]

congrats and good luck, preston!

I am having flashbacks of Black Angel... if you touch the statue do you belt out a rock song? :)

Kidding aside, looks good!

-Ted

[Ki-Ki]

Somehow reminded me of the book/film "To Kill A Mockingbird" there. Good luck with the shooting.

[Tom Marshall]

... if you touch the statue do you belt out a rock song? :)

You turn into Jon Bon Jovi... :cheesy:

I love the title man... good luck with it!! :)

[Larry R]

Somehow reminded me of the book/film "To Kill A Mockingbird" there.

Yea, the photo on the headstone behind the angel is Boo Radley :)

[david jerome]

I'm a Rock Star and this bothers me a little.

Good luck.

[Geoff_R]

I love this title, it gives me all kinds of ideas! Looking forward to this one.

[Ki-Ki]

Oh cool. I should learn how to Analyze posters more. If I can spell the word to start off with.

[Ladyhazle]

Interesting poster. Happy shooting!

[ZFarms Productions]

cool poster. good luck to ya.

[preston]

thank you all for the well-wishes. this is my first film, and it means a lot.

the poster has been updated. same angel, but new fonts and now there's a tagline (or two).

enjoy!

[Jason Ramsey]

Interesting looking stuff and concept from what I can gather. I look forward to more.

Best of luck to you
Jason

[Kyle Stebbins]

hmmm... rock music, statues, angels, and death... i'm intrigued. Welcome to the fest! Your title rules!!
-kyle

[jeremytuttle]

I like the composition of your new poster a lot more and your tagline makes it sound very interesting. Good luck with your first film, I can't wait to see it.
Jeremy

[Norm Sanders]

I SERIOUSLY dig the title. :thumbsup: Nice poster as well, but the title is what caught my attention ... looking forward to hearing more about this one.

[preston]

hey everyone,

I added an album cover to the first post. of course, it might change as I get better ideas!

enjoy.

EDIT: I took the albums down . . .

[VersuS]

nice album cover, simple but nice!

[preston]

nice album cover, simple but nice!
thanks. it's not much, just fun to do.

and I just added cover art #2.

[preston]

ok, I fashoined a banner for my signature. It seemed like the right thing to do. :thumbup:

[MovieTroll]

Hey preston,

I love the banner and I wish you all the best of luck!

[tmpafilmer25]

Good luck with your film Preston. Looks very interesting.

-Noel

[Ted Arabian]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRESTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm keeping tabs on your thread here.... looking good.

-Ted

[Jason Ramsey]

Yes. Happy Birthday, Man.

I'm just re-looking over your thread here. Things are looking real nice. I like the poster and Artwork a lot. Some nice use of photoshop going on here :)

Glad to hear you have a final screenplay. I'm beginning to think that is the hardest part :) But man, it has been a blast trying to get there.

Best of luck to you ahead.
Jason

[preston]

hey guys - thanks for the birthday wishes!


goodnight!!

[preston]

I just added a link to a short teaser in the first post. it's nothing special . . .

don't worry, nothing in the teaser will appear in the film, except the music (and maybe the font, but don't hold me to it!).

I'm just bored cause we haven't had the chance to shoot anything yet.

hope everyone is making progress!

[Ted Arabian]

LOL Preston, that was certainly a TEASER!!! What was that...? One frame of actual video??? :grin:

I like the music... and the font.

-Ted

[hjanssen]

Need a rockstar?

[preston]

Need a rockstar?
thanks Herman, but I already have my rockstar. we had our first shoot yesterday and I think it went well. maybe I'll dig up a screen shot . . .

wait - are screenshots allowed?

[Ted Arabian]

Screenshots were allowed in Horrorfest.

[preston]

Screenshots were allowed in Horrorfest.

well, I haven't seen any so far for this festival - I guess I'll hold off for now. I'd put up some BTS stuff, but we didn't shoot any!

[david jerome]

Let's see some screenshots.

[preston]

it's no airplane :) (Ted!), but here's a framegrab . . .

http://www.prestonjarvis.com/myspace/rockstargrab2.jpg

[preston]

http://www.prestonjarvis.com/myspace/rockstargrab1.jpg

[Brandon Rice]

http://www.prestonjarvis.com/myspace/rockstargrab1.jpg

I really like this shot. Very nice.

[Larry R]

Nice grabs....really like them both a lot

[preston]

I really like this shot. Very nice.

thanks, Brandon. hope to shoot more soon . . . ugh . . . I think the hardest part of filmmaking is scheduling!

:dankk2:

[Brandon Rice]

ugh . . . I think the hardest part of filmmaking is scheduling!


Yeah, producing is tough man... real tough... keep at it though, you'll be happy you did! :thumbsup:

[preston]

Nice grabs....really like them both a lot

and thanks again . . . this really is a lot of fun.

I probably won't be saying that when it's time to edit. :huh:

:dankk2:

[Ted Arabian]

Oh, no.... editing it one of the best parts!!! (at least for me!)

Grabs look good! I always love a shot down the RR tracks. And the tight close-up on the hand is sweet!

Keep it up, Preston!

[david jerome]

Hey Preston, is that your Rock Star on the tracks? Or are you keeping that a secret. Nice looking shot.

[preston]

Hey Preston, is that your Rock Star on the tracks? Or are you keeping that a secret. Nice looking shot.

yeah, that's my 'rockstar' . . . here's another shot, sans crop:

http://www.prestonjarvis.com/myspace/rockstargrab3.jpg

[david jerome]

So how is it going? I want your Rockstar's hair. I used to have hair like that.

david jerome

[preston]

So how is it going? I want your Rockstar's hair. I used to have hair like that.

david jerome

it's going slow . . . between shoots, I like to look for inspiration and ideas, so I've been watching some DVD's with the commentary tracks to hear how these guys do what they do.

looks like creativity is the only substitute for money :)

about the hair - I've seen hats with long hair sewn into them. they're kind cool in a stupid way. you should try one!

[preston]

david - how about something like this?

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/11343/1166718767.jpg

please note: this is NOT my rockstar.

[david jerome]

What do you think Preston? Does it work for you?


http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10315/1166737398.jpg

[jeremytuttle]

Nice grabs Preston... looking really good so far (except David with that hair... wow:) )

[preston]

Nice grabs Preston... looking really good so far (except David with that hair... wow:) )

thanks Jeremy.

I guess David really wanted hair like that.

[jeremytuttle]

Any new updates?

[preston]

Any new updates?

not really - the holiday season is a busy time around my house, but all the kids and my wife went back to school today, so I should be able to resume work on the film.

we did shoot a short scene last week, and it's turning out well.

[RebeccaD]

Omg! That hair. Lol. That is hilarious.

[Charli]

Nice poster, good luck!

[Ted Arabian]

PRESTON!!!!!!!!! How is it going????

I hope that you are still on schedule!

[preston]

PRESTON!!!!!!!!! How is it going????

I hope that you are still on schedule!

hey Ted . . . thanks for asking. if by "on schedule", you mean there's still plenty of time before the deadline, then yeah, I'm right on schedule. :)

it's going slow, because there just aren't enough hours in a day. my days usually start at 6am and end around 1am, so I'm gonna have to commit to pulling some all-nighters here real soon if I wanna finish this thing in time.

(I hope) we're shooting a scene tonight, if I can work it out. we'll see.

[Ted Arabian]

Cool. Glad to hear it!

All-nighters are right up my alley! Good luck!

-Ted

[david jerome]

All-nighters. The word makes me tremble. Yet I know there is no escaping such tortures. The same word that would create waves of ecstacy through my body as a child. Now, the valley of the shadow of death. Give me strength Lord, for I too must suffer this agony. All for the glory of creating a new film. A masterpiece birthed through fire out of my own loins. Oh my God my loins are on fire.

Don't quit Preston, We're in this together.

david jerome

[david jerome]

Hey Preston, you ever pick up your actors, drive to a location, and shoot a scene all on your lunch hour?

david jerome

[preston]

Hey Preston, you ever pick up your actors, drive to a location, and shoot a scene all on your lunch hour?

david jerome
yeah - today as a matter of fact. how did you know? oh yeah - I tricked you into acting in my film!

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I guess I can use this time to 'update' on our progress . . .

we had another shoot today - on my lunch break - and we managed to shoot a pivitol scene from RockStar. it really feels like we're gonna get this thing done on time, but there's still alot of work to be done.

editing is going to be a challenge, but I'm actually more worried about encoding (David, I'll need your experience here).

today's scene was actually fun to shoot because I wanted it to be "all in one take". we managed to get the shot and I'm happy with it. a steadycam would have been nice, but this scene kinda works the way it is - rough. it just needs some sound effects and it'll be a lot better.

I'm sure everyone is feeling this deadline like I am. I know David is, cause I was there.

this is so much fun . . . now if I could just stop drinking every night, I might be a lot further in my progress. :beer:

P

[tmpafilmer25]

I don't know if I'm going to see your film because I happen to really like some rock stars...:D

Just kidding, can't wait to see it.

[preston]

I don't know if I'm going to see your film because I happen to really like some rock stars...:D

Just kidding, can't wait to see it.

I can think of only one person who might be offended, but I've changed the names to 'protect' the guilty . . . :Drogar-Thinking(DBG

[preston]

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/11343/1168951025.jpg

[screengrab from yesterday]

[deepentertainments]

Intresting...
cant wait

[preston]

Intresting...
cant wait

thanks.

today's update - editing has begun, however, filming is not yet complete.

[preston]

I'm shooting 4:3 so I can have the last say on framing in post.

I know there's a letterbox matte in Premiere's titler - is it accurate as 16:9? this is my first time dealing with these issues, so I appreciate any help or advice.

:: if anyone has a 16:9 letterbox .tga or .psd file, please let me know if you'd be willing to share it with me (because I might edit in a program other than Premiere).

thanks everyone!

[preston]

GUERILLA FILMMAKING

Guerilla Filmmaking is the best way to describe how this film is being made. No schedules, no pre-planned locations, no rehearsals, no shot sheets, no storyboards.

But it's fun. I'm not saying we're unprepared when it's time to shoot, we just set up, get the shot and move on. No 12-15 hour shoots here. No entire weekends dedicated to the film. Our longest shoot so far has been about 90 minutes.

We're not done shooting, but that's ok. Hopefully we'll shoot another scene today - on my lunch break - and I'll edit it tonight.

Good luck to everyone. DramaFest is going to be great!

[Ted Arabian]

Guerilla Filmmaking is how I got my horrorfest entry done. Nothing wrong with that at all!

Glad to hear you are progressing with your film!

Best of luck to you. Can't wait to see your work!

-Ted

[david jerome]

Way to go Preston. You have two more week-ends. With your speed you ought to be able to get another film done before the deadline. I just figured out I should not be an editor, or else I should only shoot one take of each shot. I spend hours trying to decide what take to use. And it's not because I know what I'm doing. It's because I just can't decide. I have a phobia of making decisions. I can't believe I ever get anything done. Maybe I shouldn't try editing unless I'm drunk.

david jerome

[preston]

Way to go Preston. You have two more week-ends. With your speed you ought to be able to get another film done before the deadline. I just figured out I should not be an editor, or else I should only shoot one take of each shot. I spend hours trying to decide what take to use. And it's not because I know what I'm doing. It's because I just can't decide. I have a phobia of making decisions. I can't believe I ever get anything done. Maybe I shouldn't try editing unless I'm drunk.

david jerome

yeah, drunk editing is worth a try. :beer:

[preston]

UPDATE:

shooting is still not complete, but hopefully by this weekend it will be. then the weekend will be devoted to editing, editing and editing.

good luck to all who are still working . . .

ps - does anyone have a 16:9 matte/template for Premiere 1.5? - or a targa for other NLE's?

bye!

[jeremytuttle]

UPDATE:

shooting is still not complete, but hopefully by this weekend it will be. then the weekend will be devoted to editing, editing and editing.

good luck to all who are still working . . .

ps - does anyone have a 16:9 matte/template for Premiere 1.5? - or a targa for other NLE's?

bye!

Sounds like a challenge. Break out the Rock Star energy drinks and get Killing... those Rock Stars.

I can break out a matte for you. I assume you are doing 720x480 4:3, right and want to matte within that to 16:9? If so I have that I can send you. I did have to make it one pixel taller on the bottom to get it exactly 16:9, so not sure if that will be a prob.

[Ted Arabian]

Hey Preston, still haven't found that template? That sucks. Is that something that you can make in photoshop?

Good luck on wrapping shooting (and editing, editing, editing!).

[preston]

I can break out a matte for you. I assume you are doing 720x480 4:3, right and want to matte within that to 16:9? If so I have that I can send you. I did have to make it one pixel taller on the bottom to get it exactly 16:9, so not sure if that will be a prob.
Jeremy, thanks for offering to help!

yes, I'm shooting 4:3 so I can do some "post-framing". right now I'm using the "widescreen" template in Premiere, but it's obviously much wider than true 16:9. actually, the footage doesn't look too bad at this ratio, but I do want to see what it looks like at 16:9.

Hey Preston, still haven't found that template? That sucks. Is that something that you can make in photoshop?

Good luck on wrapping shooting (and editing, editing, editing!).
looks like you and Jeremy posted at the same time, Ted. I could make a matte in photoshop, but I don't know what size to build it. :undecided good thing Jeremy has one already sized.

crunch time!!

[Ted Arabian]

Yeah, I see that my post came in right after Jeremy's offer. Well, I am glad that he can help!

Good luck, Bro!

[jeremytuttle]

I sent you an e-mail, let me know how it works out.

[preston]

I sent you an e-mail, let me know how it works out.

yes, I got it. - thank you! it works fine.

[preston]

I hope everyone is getting excited about the deadline. me personally - I'm excited and a little worried. this is the first time I've tried anything like this, which is not an excuse - it's just a fact.

I am trying to figure out quicktime pro, but it's hard to get anything to look good right now. I'm trying to go with the 400x225 image size - does anyone know yet what will be acceptable?

uncompressed avi from premiere looks great, but when I export it from quicktime, I'm getting a lot of ailising (sp?). is this normal, or am I not doing it right?

also, I have no idea how the keyframes work. should I set it for every 24 frames, every 48? I have no idea.

so many questions, so little time.

good luck everyone! :happy:

[Mark Harris]

We started this thread in HorrorFest with some info on compression:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=72789

It might give you some help.

And yeah, nervous is the word. Though with what I heard from Herman on our score earlier makes me go WOW!!!!!

Good luck. Bust it out.

[preston]

We started this thread in HorrorFest with some info on compression:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=72789

It might give you some help.

And yeah, nervous is the word. Though with what I heard from Herman on our score earlier makes me go WOW!!!!!

Good luck. Bust it out.

thank you! now I'll be up all night (again)!

[jeremytuttle]

Preston,

I noticed on my version of the matte (I'm actually doing a slightly different aspect ratio), when I output it at a different size then 720x480 it added a slightly lighter line right below the top bar. Have you noticed this? I think I found a fix, but I wanted to warn you.

[ripupthehwy]

Hey Preston, I can't wait to see your Rockstar film. Maybe somehow by some miracle I might be lucky enough to be one of the first people to see it! Hmmmmm

"..so...how does it feel to kill a rockstar?"

[preston]

Preston,

I noticed on my version of the matte (I'm actually doing a slightly different aspect ratio), when I output it at a different size then 720x480 it added a slightly lighter line right below the top bar. Have you noticed this? I think I found a fix, but I wanted to warn you.
Jeremy,
I had a tough time deciding on wich matte to use - yours, or the one that comes in Premiere.
I think I'll go with the Premiere matte, just because it makes the footage look a little wider (and I like that).
But who knows, I could change my mind because I'm not even close to being finished editing. I'm even going out today to pick up a few more shots!!

Thanks for the warning - if you want, you can send me the fixed file. I'll probably need it soon enough anyway!

And thanks again for all your help; good luck to you guys! I'm interested in that franken-D2-whatever-you-call-it mobile production robot/monster. awesome.

[tmpafilmer25]

How are you coming along Preston? I hope all is well.

[preston]

How are you coming along Preston? I hope all is well.
since you asked . . . I'm done! well, the film is done, compression is not. I'm working on it today, but I'm having my share of issues. trial and error is the only way to good compression.

your music fits really, really well. I can't thank you enough. it just might be my favorite part of the film!!

my new fish is still alive, but I don't know how much longer he's gonna hang on. he seems weak. too bad - he's a good little actor. at least he'll live on in David's film.

. . . gotta go compress again . . .

[preston]

Preston,

I noticed on my version of the matte (I'm actually doing a slightly different aspect ratio), when I output it at a different size then 720x480 it added a slightly lighter line right below the top bar. Have you noticed this? I think I found a fix, but I wanted to warn you.

Jeremy, I have noticed this, but not just on your matte. it's not there at 720, but it is after compression / resizing.

[preston]

Yea, the photo on the headstone behind the angel is Boo Radley :)
TKAM - one of my favorite books! I re-read it a few months ago . . . :happy:

[tmpafilmer25]

since you asked . . . I'm done! well, the film is done, compression is not. I'm working on it today, but I'm having my share of issues. trial and error is the only way to good compression.

your music fits really, really well. I can't thank you enough. it just might be my favorite part of the film!!

my new fish is still alive, but I don't know how much longer he's gonna hang on. he seems weak. too bad - he's a good little actor. at least he'll live on in David's film.

. . . gotta go compress again . . .


Good deal, can't wait to see it.

I'm glad the music is working out for you. I'm really liking this whole film composer thing:violin:

That really sucks about the fish. I guess it is possible to get a defective batch of fish? I honestly think David should fight to get his money back on them. Anyway, as Jack Black would say in King Kong, "They died doing what they loved" or something like that.:thumbsup:

[preston]

Hey Preston, I can't wait to see your Rockstar film. Maybe somehow by some miracle I might be lucky enough to be one of the first people to see it! Hmmmmm

"..so...how does it feel to kill a rockstar?"

it's done . . . come by and see it. I'll be encoding tomorrow, but I got it on tape, too.

[ignatius]

I watched your little teaser promo - clever, and I like the guitar riff, looking forward to it.

[preston]

I watched your little teaser promo - clever, and I like the guitar riff, looking forward to it.

thanks - that teaser was made way early, when all I had was the guitar. hope you enjoy. I know I had a lot of fun making this liitle film.

[Michael_Petro]

Hi preston looking pretty cool cant wait to see the rockstar :)

Nice to meet you !

[Lon]

This is your BIG NITE, dude!! Congrats on making a kick ass film! ; )

[Cygnus]

Watched the final version tonight on the big screen TV. Translated very well! An excellent first film.

Oh, and btw, the pelican was flawless from the mpeg :)

[preston]

Hi preston looking pretty cool cant wait to see the rockstar :)

Nice to meet you !

good to meet you, too. I can't believe the deadline is here. good thing is - we'll be seeing all the films soon.

[preston]

This is your BIG NITE, dude!! Congrats on making a kick ass film! ; )

Lon, I know I've said it before, but, Thank You for agreeing to be in this film. I'm glad you enjoyed the process. I know I did.

[preston]

Watched the final version tonight on the big screen TV. Translated very well! An excellent first film.

Oh, and btw, the pelican was flawless from the mpeg :)

thanks for your help - or I would have had major technical difficulties instead of minor ones.

David has his fish, I have my birds. and my bridges. I love the pelican.

good night all; can't wait till tomorrow . . .

[Ted Arabian]

WooHoo! I'm post #100 on your thead!

Preston, I look forward to your film!

I've enjoyed conversing with you during dramafest.

Best to you!

-Ted

[Michael_Petro]

I'm 101 :) do I get a prize or something:)

Ted man your freaking everywhere but i dont see your little movie yet MR :)

[preston]

I'm 101 :) do I get a prize or something:)

Ted man your freaking everywhere but i dont see your little movie yet MR :)

I think post #101 deserves . . . :beer:a beer!

now I gotta top that for Ted's big #100 . . . I'll come up with something, don't worry.

[preston]

WooHoo! I'm post #100 on your thead!

Preston, I look forward to your film!

I've enjoyed conversing with you during dramafest.

Best to you!

-Ted
here you go, Ted . . . congrats on my #100! (look familiar?) haha


http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/briantw/smileys/th_smiley_abyt.gif http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/medktulu/sarcastic-kneelsuckers.gif http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/briantw/smileys/th_smiley_abyt.gif


http://img99.exs.cx/img99/8577/yupi3ti.gif http://img99.exs.cx/img99/8577/yupi3ti.gif http://www.clanforen.de/clanforen/images/smilies/smilies031205/ketten_015.gif http://img99.exs.cx/img99/8577/yupi3ti.gif http://img99.exs.cx/img99/8577/yupi3ti.gif

[Ted Arabian]

Bwaaaaaa haaa haaaaaa haaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!

That's awesome!!!

(but becareful... those are Larry's smilies that you pilfered!

[preston]

Bwaaaaaa haaa haaaaaa haaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!

That's awesome!!!

(but becareful... those are Larry's smilies that you pilfered!
yeah, it's more of an ode to your #3000, of course. I'm not really that excited about 100 posts, it's all in good fun!

[Ted Arabian]

I know... I realize. And who ever thougth that a dramafest thread would hit 3000???

I didn't!

Congrats to you on your FILM!

I am looking forward to it!

[david jerome]

I know... I realize. And who ever thougth that a dramafest thread would hit 3000???

I didn't!

Congrats to you on your FILM!

I am looking forward to it!

I predict TTN thread will be at 4000 very soon.

Canobi the fish will be missed. I'm sorry for your loss Preston. He was my friend.

david jerome

[Michael_Petro]

Just watched your flick pretty cool put it in the keepers folder :)

[gabrielflorit]

The rear mirror ornament is really distracting as it swings in and out of the shot. Gun shot sounds kinda like a staple gun. Good male lead actor his lines sound really convincing, I buy his persona, not so sure about the female, her lines sound contrived. Too much background music. It just doesn't stop, doesn't let you think. I guess it's ok, being about a rock star.
Overall feeling: what???

[Ted Arabian]

Hey Preston, Great job! I enjoyed your film.

Personally, I thought that the story was a little thin. I really would like to have seen some kind of conflict. Maybe an inner conflict of the hitman. The story just seem to happen and didn't make me feel anything.

Your shots looked great at times. I love your opening and closing sequences. The stuff in car looked good but the Rosary beads hanging off the mirror were a distraction. In the first few shots, I didn't know what it was (it was just teasing the frame). I was glad when I figured out what it was. So, in my opinion... get it in the frame or take it out.

I liked your hitman. I didn't care for the woman, too much. I think that this is probably more to do with the writing of her dialogue. It just didn't seem real.

Also, I really don't know what kind of money she was expecting to get from her rock star husband. The house that he was living in didn't seem to be that spectacular!

Anyway, I did enjoy watching your film.

Good job!

[Mark Johnson]

Good notes, Ted. Almost mine exactly. I enjoyed the premise and story. Same reaction to the rosary at first. Distracted me. One thing I totally enjoyed was when I first watched it I swore that was a SHARK in the water! Rewound it and I'm thinking dolphin? Pretty cool.

And I also found myself thinking (what?) at the radio announcement "found in a mobile home he had owned". I couldn't help but think, 'oh oh, couldn't afford the Kurt Cobaine mansion set I guess.' Its just that this story calls for the trappings of success around the guy and it kind of weakens it to see him as a sort of pathetic figure in a pathetic surrounding. Know what I mean?

[preston]

Good notes, Ted. Almost mine exactly. I enjoyed the premise and story. Same reaction to the rosary at first. Distracted me. One thing I totally enjoyed was when I first watched it I swore that was a SHARK in the water! Rewound it and I'm thinking dolphin? Pretty cool.

And I also found myself thinking (what?) at the radio announcement "found in a mobile home he had owned". I couldn't help but think, 'oh oh, couldn't afford the Kurt Cobaine mansion set I guess.' Its just that this story calls for the trappings of success around the guy and it kind of weakens it to see him as a sort of pathetic figure in a pathetic surrounding. Know what I mean?
well Mark (and Ted!), I guess I chose unwisely. without boring you here with all my motives, I'll just try to clarify the mobile home thing: I actually had it scripted for a huge, waterfront mansion, and we secured a nice location for the "kill scene", but I changed it to help depict the idea that money can't buy happiness.
Kurt Cobain was never comfortable with his wealth; it was against his ideals. he frequented seedy motels and drug dealer's apartments (especially near the end of his life), even though he had a huge mansion right up the hill. this is what I tried to portray here; I never thought anyone would get hung up on it.

oh well, hope this helps you see what I was trying to do.

and here's a little trivia for you - it's the same mobile home that David shot Ajar in. :)

[Mark Johnson]

You know, that's way cool. I wasn't at all aware of Kurt's frequenting seedy places although I knew he was way uncomfortable with his wealth. That's what made his end in his big house poignant for me. I do understand what you were doing and it explains the radio announcer's comment. Fair enough for me, dude. What about the 'shark' though? Was that a dolphin? Did you shoot that footage?

[preston]

You know, that's way cool. I wasn't at all aware of Kurt's frequenting seedy places although I knew he was way uncomfortable with his wealth. That's what made his end in his big house poignant for me. I do understand what you were doing and it explains the radio announcer's comment. Fair enough for me, dude. What about the 'shark' though? Was that a dolphin? Did you shoot that footage?
thanks.

the dolphin - everytime I go outside, I either see gators or dolphins. ok, not every time, but a lot. that's not my dock, it's about 5 minutes from my house. I grew up on that water, though.

I was shooting the drawbridge shot, and David said, "dude there's a dolphin." so I panned and waited for him to come up again, and got lucky he was in frame. it's not a great shot until he surfaces. then it's cool.

by the way, that's what Florida looks like in January - we wanted to stop shooting and go swimming!

[Mark Harris]

I just started watching, but wanted to pop in real quick to say that David Jerome looks just like Joe Walsh in that opening shot, and I laughed my ass off...

Dude, this film was awesome. Of course, I am partial to the noir-ish back-stabbing. I just thought it was a lot of fun. And it was a pretty complete little story, though I think you could have some fun with a longer version.

Shooting, editing and all served the story and were unnoticable, I thought. That's a compliment, BTW.

I think we may need to team up for some early adventures of Roy Washington and Casey. See my film Katrina and you'll see what I mean. :)

[iSTy]

nice work, don't often see that kinda ending
Thank you.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Just watched it, enjoyed it. Though the hit man's bogus accent was really distracting. Every time he talked I got pulled out of it. I like the premise. I had heard conspiracy theories that Cobain hadn't killed himself and it was nice to be able to see one played out

[D_and_G]

“Just make sure you got the money honey” Best line of the fest.

ECU with the blond hair blowing in the breeze was pure art. Your daytime shots were well shot with deep colours and nice perspective (oddly enough the best shots were during the end credits). Whereas, the night exteriors were much less effective, in that regard. The dichotomy between the day exteriors and night exteriors is probably more a function of your lighting kit and the camera, but reexamining the finale location might have been a better solution. Acting wasn’t the strong suit, but the effort was appreciated.
But I felt that you could have revealed more of the character through a different action than driving. With this time frame, you could have really elucidated the characters with the choice of what they are doing while they are talking to one another. An example of revealing character by action, is the intro to the Usual Suspects where we get a flavour for the characters by their occupations or their actions.

With regards to the story, it didn’t really draw me in or make me empathize with any of the characters. Take out the Cobain reference and I wouldn’t have cared at all. At first, I thought you were going for a Courtney Doc/fiction vibe, but it didn’t pan out. What was your theme? And what did you want to say to us as an audience? That’s what I missed in the telling of your flick. Clarifying your intent through a script rewrite might be efficacious to get the theme that I felt you were trying to exhibit. And crafting a less ‘on the nose’ dialogue version could be another consideration. Although, some of the lines made me smile (refer to first sentence ;) )

Thanks for making this. The choice of subject matter was a nice surprise, and there were some real beaut’s of shots.



:beer:

[nitramlehcar]

I think it's so funny that some are hung up on the rosary. I thought the broken beads were absolutely inspired and symbolic of the character's defective morality.

As for the music, everyone that has watched both yours and David's films has commented on how well the music fit and wondered who did it.

Excellent job. I thought the film rocked. ;)

[ignatius]

I liked some of your angles and lighting, I didn't mind the beads in frame, though maybe they could have been included in the other angle to match. The acting was okay, but what exactly is this piece supposed to be? I've seen the documentary on the Courtney conspiracy/Cobain murder thing, so is this just a retelling of that? And the line about "don't condescend me, I'll kill you too" seems awfully close to Floyd's line in True Romance. I'm not sure if I liked the overall piece, but I appreciate the effort you put into making it.

[preston]

I liked some of your angles and lighting, I didn't mind the beads in frame, though maybe they could have been included in the other angle to match. The acting was okay, but what exactly is this piece supposed to be? I've seen the documentary on the Courtney conspiracy/Cobain murder thing, so is this just a retelling of that? And the line about "don't condescend me, I'll kill you too" seems awfully close to Floyd's line in True Romance. I'm not sure if I liked the overall piece, but I appreciate the effort you put into making it.

thank you for your comments . . . yes! I totally stole that line from Floyd. it wasn't in my script, I just told him to say it on the spot because it's one of my favorite lines from True Romance. good catch! I left it in because it's funny, and I'm in no way gonna take this film too seriously. it wouldn't have been any fun to feel the pressure of cinematic perfection, because this is my first film ever. it was a fun learning experience.

this film is supposed to be fiction - a short story with a beginning, middle and end. it's not trying to be anything more. yeah, I based it on Kurt Cobain, but I'm not trying to make some statement that this is what happened to him. it's just a good starting point for a short movie.

[TimurCivan]

i somehow missed this one in the download. Mark brought my attention to it. i thought it was good. i liek he colorful end scene. And the cowboy, at first is awkward, but he grows on you. Good effort. :)

[Paul Coleman]

Really liked it. Caught me off guard. :thumbup:

[SomewhereinLA]

I enjoy the movie, good work and great ending.

[Blaine]

Preston,
I enjoyed your movie. I was a little distracted by what I believe to be and overdone accent by David. I thought his delivery was a bit too deadpan, but perhaps that's what your were going for. But he was a colorful character. I didn't care for your actress' dialogue delivery over the phone but she was great when she physically entered the scene. The first time that neckless (?) hanging from the mirror came into frame it completely pulled me out of the show. It wasn't until the second time that I realized what had happened.

It seems like an ambitious project and you pulled it off for the most part. Good job.

[macgregor]

Veeeery sad story. How did you come up with ti?

[Jazz Dog]

Had to check out your flick right away after the cool reviews you gave mine. I was hoping it was good and I was not disapointed. Especially for your first film! My first film is about a girl who cheats on her boyfriend with a cardboard cut-out of a storm trooper so to take on this subject matter is quite a feat. Nice. I like the titles and I normally hate cross dissolves but it seemed to work in this case. The guys accent was a bit forced but it grew on me after a while. I thought when he said "I don't know...you tell me" that that was the most brilliant line of the script. The lighting in the car at night was excellent too. I didn't even know you were supposed to use lights in my first film. Nice job overall. Entertaining.

[preston]

Veeeery sad story. How did you come up with ti?
Kurt's Journals (http://www.amazon.com/Journals-Kurt-Cobain/dp/157322359X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b/102-0306774-3439321)

Kurt Cobain's Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobain)

Love & Death by Max Wallace, Ian Halperin (http://www.amazon.com/Love-Death-Murder-Kurt-Cobain/dp/0743484843/sr=8-3/qid=1170771598/ref=pd_bbs_3/102-0306774-3439321?ie=UTF8&s=books) (book)

Cobain Case: The Kurt Cobain Murder Investigation (http://www.cobaincase.com/) (website)

Justice for Kurt - Was He Murdered? (http://www.justiceforkurt.com/) (website)

[Aaron Marshall]

What was this originally called Courntey Love: The Untold Story? :grin:

I liked it man. You had these beautiful sunny environments but underneath it all something very sinister was bubbling. Great job at showing us that juxtaposition. The radio broadcast over tampa excellent too! It reminded me of Spielberg's early film: Duel.

Rock on!

[preston]

What was this originally called Courntey Love: The Untold Story? :grin:

I liked it man. You had these beautiful sunny environments but underneath it all something very sinister was bubbling. Great job at showing us that juxtaposition. The radio broadcast over tampa excellent too! It reminded me of Spielberg's early film: Duel.

Rock on!

thank you!

[preston]

:) because everyone likes the Cowboy so much, here's just a little more:

unused take (3mb) (http://www.prestonjarvis.com/films/drive.mov)

enjoy . . .

[Michael_Petro]

Good stuff Preston! The scenery was great( I saw a Dolphin ) the acting was good especially Courtney's errrr eriks wife's part... I thought Mr cowboy fit right in.. keep on making films....


edit: those freaking beads where driving me nuts... just sayin :)

[ripupthehwy]

I loved the cinematography. Especially the outdoor scenic stuff!! (wink)

[ripupthehwy]

because everyone likes the Cowboy so much, here's just a little more:

I like the outtake clip. Something about the look on David's face in that shot, getting in the truck. He reminds me of Bono of U2. I'm sure he'll like that comment!!

[david jerome]

I like the outtake clip. Something about the look on David's face in that shot, getting in the truck. He reminds me of Bono of U2. I'm sure he'll like that comment!!

That makes it all worth while right there. I should have been the Rock Star. I wouldn't have had to talk.

david jerome

[david jerome]

Bro, I think you made a pretty tight movie shooting scenes on your lunch hour. I couldn't have done that.

david jerome

[Tom Marshall]

Bro, I think you made a pretty tight movie shooting scenes on your lunch hour. I couldn't have done that.

david jerome

I agree. I think doing this under such conditions and with a 1 man crew, you really pulled off something cool and that you can be proud of - esp for a first film. :beer:

[tmpafilmer25]

The only thing I wasn't sure about was I found it hard, I guess what I'm trying to say is Its hard to find, Oh well, whatever, nevermind.:D

[Norm Sanders]

preston, I wish I hadn't have know upfront that this is a one-man effort, as it was already a pretty impressive little film, but that just blows my mind you were able to do all that yourself.

The sound design came off great (VERY pro opening with the shots & the radio VO), and you had some killer shots & angles in there, specifically some of the ending shots with the 'Eric' character.

For acting, both seemed fine, though the cowboy character was just SO extremely laid back, it was bugging the heck out of me. Would also have liked to have seen the wife's face, as she seemed to have a really pretty bone structure, but those glasses just hid so much (the story called for it, i know).

Anyway, great, GREAT job on a film well done, and extreme kudos for this being your first film ... blows my first attempt out of the water by a mile!

[jeremytuttle]

Hey, just wanted to finally drop by and give my really cheap 2 cents.

I thought this was very entertaining. I thought it was a great idea doing the "behind the scenes" of such a mysterious death. I do think the movie felt like a part of a longer movie. I kinda wish it would have kept going (maybe show the wife became a crack out chick on the verge of bankruptcy... but a better idea then that:) ) or even just a little more of a character arc... not sure.

I thought this was shot pretty good, sounded decent, and I really liked the acting, the cowboy was great and the wife was good too. This was a great first effort man, I think you have talent, and I hope to see more from you.

[Geoff_R]

I love your opening shots, very cinematic; especially the bridge shot at 55 seconds in. From earlier posts, I've gathered that this was pretty much a one-man show and your first film...this is an impressive film considering both factors.

The ending is very cool; I love the sound of the gun and just how the scene plays out, it's rather surprising because it's so fast and there's no hesitation, she immediately pulls the trigger.

Sound and story were okay for me, but the cinematography really stood out for me and made this film work. You've got a lot of great angles (love the train track shot). All in all, I think you managed to pull off a cool flick, nice job Preston.

[preston]

I love your opening shots, very cinematic; especially the bridge shot at 55 seconds in. From earlier posts, I've gathered that this was pretty much a one-man show and your first film...this is an impressive film considering both factors.

The ending is very cool; I love the sound of the gun and just how the scene plays out, it's rather surprising because it's so fast and there's no hesitation, she immediately pulls the trigger.

Sound and story were okay for me, but the cinematography really stood out for me and made this film work. You've got a lot of great angles (love the train track shot). All in all, I think you managed to pull off a cool flick, nice job Preston.
well thank you. :)

I must admit that, even though this was pretty much a one-man job, I did get a lot of help from David Jerome (maker of AJAR). apart from starring as the Cowboy, he was also willing to let me use his camera and resources. without him, there would be no "Rock Star". plus, he gives good advice like, "hey man, whatever, it's your film. just make sure your horizon is straight."
thanks, David.

- CHALLENGE -

I'm pretty sure that by now, everyone knows this film is basically a fictitious look into the death of Kurt Cobain. I'll soon be posting some of the "hidden references" to Kurt in my film, but first, I want to give everyone a chance to find them on their own.
so, if you noticed something you thought was alluding to Kurt and/or Nirvana, let me know! reply with your ideas. good luck! (no cheating, Lon - thanks for the idea)

any takers?

-Preston

[jontuttle]

You named the band Eric was in Sliver. That was a song off Incesticide and also the name of a Nirvana Boxed set.

Cobain broke out of Exodus Recovery in LA a week before he died. You referenced rehab in the short.

Chris Yoader = Kurt Loader?

Im sure there are more.

[Mark Harris]

- CHALLENGE -

I'm pretty sure that by now, everyone knows this film is basically a fictitious look into the death of Kurt Cobain. I'll soon be posting some of the "hidden references" to Kurt in my film, but first, I want to give everyone a chance to find them on their own.
so, if you noticed something you thought was alluding to Kurt and/or Nirvana, let me know! reply with your ideas. good luck! (no cheating, Lon - thanks for the idea)

any takers?

-Preston

You mean besides his crazy-assed wife offing him?

[preston]

You named the band Eric was in Sliver. That was a song off Incesticide and also the name of a Nirvana Boxed set.

Chris Yoader = Kurt Loader?
yes - SLIVER. great song, and also the Best of the Box.

Kurt Loder - yes - the radio v/o was based on his broadcast of Kurt's death, so I just called him Chris Yoder. cheesy, I know.

You mean besides his crazy-assed wife offing him?
hilarious, Mark! "crazy-assed" is right . . .

[tmpafilmer25]

I got one Preston, toward the end of your short I noticed Erik was playing a guitar and looked like he was only playing two chords. Most Nirvana songs I've heard, that seems to be just about right. Way to sneak that one in there.

Joke:laugh:

[jontuttle]

I don't know why this one didn't pop in my head. Canobi spelled differently equals Cobain. You could have named him Turk Canobi.

[preston]

I don't know why this one didn't pop in my head. Canobi spelled differently equals Cobain. You could have named him Turk Canobi.
yes Jon - you seem to be on a role. CANOBI is an anagram for COBAIN.

[Mark Harris]

duh, and here i was thinking you were making a Star Wars reference...

[preston]

duh, and here i was thinking you were making a Star Wars reference...
Mark, your comments are cracking me up!

[preston]

- CHALLENGE -

I'm pretty sure that by now, everyone knows this film is basically a fictitious look into the death of Kurt Cobain. I'll soon be posting some of the "hidden references" to Kurt in my film, but first, I want to give everyone a chance to find them on their own.
so, if you noticed something you thought was alluding to Kurt and/or Nirvana, let me know! reply with your ideas. good luck! (no cheating, Lon - thanks for the idea)

any takers?

-Preston
here are some less obvious visual references to Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. these are very subtle, and I put them in mainly just for myself, but I thought I'd share them here with you all . . .

I staged the "kill scene" to be reminiscent of the famous Cobain suicide photo seen everywhere after his body was found. even though he had a huge rock-star mansion, he died in a small, junky storage room (originally a greenhouse). I tried to recreate the look and feel of where he died:

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/11343/1171134514.jpg

also, the green and gold water is a reference to Nirvana's breakthrough album, Nevermind. this is the back cover:

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/11343/1171134551.jpg

I didn't expect anyone to notice these things, but I think it's interesting enough to share them with anyone who cares!

again, thanks for watching.
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/11343/1171134514.jpg%5B/IMG%5D

[Michael_Petro]

duh, and here i was thinking you were making a Star Wars reference...


thats what i thought :)

[preston]

thats what i thought :)
no way . . (nothing against Star Wars)

I just think it's the coolest sounding anagram for COBAIN.

[theprettiestsister]

Wow that was neato! You had some beautiful shots and some really cool references. Good Job!

[preston]

I think it's so funny that some are hung up on the rosary. I thought the broken beads were absolutely inspired and symbolic of the character's defective morality.

As for the music, everyone that has watched both yours and David's films has commented on how well the music fit and wondered who did it.

Excellent job. I thought the film rocked. ;)
Wow that was neato! You had some beautiful shots and some really cool references. Good Job!
thank you, Rachel. thank you, Sarah. :)

[Ted Arabian]

Hey Preston, just catching up on your thread. Wow! Very nice info here on all of the thought that you put into Rockstar. I'm impressed. I like the green and gold water reference. Nocely done!

But I especially like your new avatar! KEEP IT!

-Ted

[david jerome]

Preston, I think I got one of the "hidden references". Elinor Wylie was a 1920's poet and novelist that Cobain liked. He wrote out lines of hers in his journals. Her young death was caused by a sudden stroke. Your killer Roy Washington obviously suffered from a stroke and he was the cause of Cobain's(Canobi's) young death.

david jerome

[preston]

Preston, I think I got one of the "hidden references". Elinor Wylie was a 1920's poet and novelist that Cobain liked. He wrote out lines of hers in his journals. Her young death was caused by a sudden stroke. Your killer Roy Washington obviously suffered from a stroke and he was the cause of Cobain's(Canobi's) young death.

david jerome
I can't believe you caught that . . .

"Shut up, critics, the dude had a stroke! that's why he talks so slow!"

[preston]

Hey Preston, just catching up on your thread. Wow! Very nice info here on all of the thought that you put into Rockstar. I'm impressed. I like the green and gold water reference. Nocely done!

But I especially like your new avatar! KEEP IT!

-Ted

thanks, Ted. I was actually a little scared to change it after what happened to Brandon last night.

[Blaine]

I was actually a little scared to change it after what happened to Brandon last night.Sometimes there are reasons things happen and I don't think you need to worry about that, preston...:beer:

[nitramlehcar]

Sometimes there are reasons things happen and I don't think you need to worry about that, preston...:beer:

Ha! HAHA!

Muahaha....

[preston]

thank you to everyone who stopped by my thread here and gave me encouragement and advice - it was really appreciated. this was my first experience in filmmaking, and you guys made it great.

I'm new here, but you guys really made me feel like a member of your community.
thanks again, guys - you know who you are!

:beer: [P]

[preston]

Today, Kurt Cobain would have turned 40 years old. He was a poet, a songwriter, a musician and an icon.

Rest in Peace, Kurt.

[tmpafilmer25]

I'm doing a Spyfest movie, will be my first movie ever so we shall see. It will probably suck. I'm kinda anxious for the rules because I don't want to start writing until I know what I have to name my characters:)