Noa/Rice Digital Presents: "It Happened One Night"

[Brandon Rice]

"A distracted father, A discouraged son, One transforming night"

"IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT" is a heartwarming tale of redemption. Devastated by the news that his parents are splitting up, Eric finds solace in the Christmas pageant he is partaking in at church. But when his dad refuses to come watch the play because Eric's mother will be there, Eric does his best to remind his father what this one night really means.

http://www.noaricedigital.com/ihon/poster.jpg

Here it is... the third and hopefully final dramafest concept...

MORE INFO TO COME

[Brandon Rice]

Reserved For Production Updates

[Brandon Rice]

Reserved For Bts Still, Etc

[Blaine]

Well, the next step is your little bro in the FRONT yard...:evil:

[235 Studios]

Interesting idea- like the poster. So I take it that Broken Shaddows is on hold ...

At least you have two projects you can come back to later if you want.

Good luck on this latest endeavor!

[Brandon Rice]

Yeah, Broken Shadows is on hold for now... I think Larry's thinking of expanding that to a feature as well! Man... so many feature ideas... now to get a good short! LOL! Thanks guys!

[Ted Arabian]

HAHA!!! I KNEW IT!!!

I told you that there would be a THIRD concept! Just like Horrorfest!

Good for you, man! Is Larry still on as your writer?

I'll be watching!

Ted

[Mark Johnson]

I think the third time is really the charm in this case. The Christmas theme is a brilliant choice if you can pull it off without being too maudlin. I hope this involves snow :)

[Brandon Rice]

Thanks Ted and Mark, and yeah, I really think this will be terrific :) And yes Ted, Larry's still on as writer! We were tossing some ideas around yesterday, and I think we have a great concept!

[Mark Johnson]

Brandon, can you tell us if David Concannon is going to be in your new project?

[Brandon Rice]

I haven't confirmed it with him yet... I did mention yesterday to him that there would be a change in our dramafest project. I've got a perfect role for him, so I hope he's still on board! No reason to think he won't be :)

[Ted Arabian]

That's excellent! I am glad that you still have Larry.

I like the idea of a Christmas story but I would like to toss in a word of caution... at least from my point of view. AFTER the holidays, people may not be readily excited about seeing a Christmas story.

That is JUST a thought that went through my head.

But I think that there is a platform here.

Ted

[Ted Arabian]

Ah! See that you still have David, too! Cool!

[Jason Ramsey]

Wow. That was a big announcement! Best of luck to you on the 3rd (and final) Drama Fest entry, Brandon. I am sure it will be very nice.

Jason

[Kyle Stebbins]

MAKE UP YOUR MIND!

kidding.

really i am kidding.

love the picture!
-kyle

[Larry Rutledge]

That's excellent! I am glad that you still have Larry. We'll see if the sentiment holds once the script is done :huh: :grin:


I like the idea of a Christmas story but I would like to toss in a word of caution... at least from my point of view. AFTER the holidays, people may not be readily excited about seeing a Christmas story. I thought of that too, but it's not a movie about Christmas, but a movie set during Christmas. I think that distinction makes it still workable (I hope anyway). Plus the fact that there will be just the one (I hope) Christmas themed film and not 60+ :)


Yeah, Broken Shadows is on hold for now... I think Larry's thinking of expanding that to a feature as well! Man... so many feature ideas... now to get a good short! LOL! Thanks guys! Well the story for Broken Shadows originally was a feature idea. Since we are going in this direction now, I will put it back in the drawer for a while and hopefully write the feature sometime in the next year.

If anyone's interested, here is the basic story idea behind the original feature version of Broken Shadows...

The idea for this story began when I had the thought of a guy going on a road trip, stopping off for lunch in a quaint town, liking the town so much that he decides to stay on a couple days and look around. Then several years later we find he is still there, is a prominent citizen in the town (perhaps running for public office) and he has no recollection of his former life. If you asked him he would say he was born here, grew up here, and will probably die here.

From there I built a backstory for him. As a child it was just him and his father, no other family. When he was five and preparing to start school (a potentially traumatic time for a child) his father disappears, leaves and never returns. The boy is bounced around from foster home to foster home until he is old enough to go out on his own. Flash-forward several years, he is doing well and is engaged to be married. Because he doesn't have any family of his own he agrees to get married in his fiancee's home town and plans a road trip to drive there for the ceremony.

Along the way he stops off for lunch, falls in love with the place, decides to stay on a few days and then several years later is still there. Now he is running for mayor of the town. A few days before the election he has to take a business trip to another state and decides to drive there. Along the way he stops off for lunch, likes the town, decides to stay on for a few days, etc, etc.

In one of these towns he crosses paths with his fiancee who has been looking for him all these years. She happened to see some news report that had his picture and she came to find him. Of course, he doesn't remember her and she fights to convince him of their relationship and win him back.

So, the idea is that everytime something major is about to take place in his life (e.g. marriage, political election, etc) he "disappears" just like his dad did when he was entering school.

When she finds him she sees he is now engaged to another woman. Once she figures out he really doesn't remember who she is or anything about their life from before, she decides to be the bigger person and let him have his new life.

Not long after she arrives home, however, he shows up. Something she said or did triggered something, and joined with her willingness to release him causes him to remember and he rushes back to her arms and they live happily ever after (or something like that :) )

Ok, back to IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT http://www.nrestudios.com/images/smilies/emote_santa.gif

[Brandon Rice]

Thanks for all that Larry! I am sure everyone enjoys the inside look on that storyline :)



I thought of that too, but it's not a movie about Christmas, but a movie set during Christmas. I think that distinction makes it still workable (I hope anyway). Plus the fact that there will be just the one (I hope) Christmas themed film and not 60+ :)


Agreed... I think it's better to say it's set during Christmastime. The plot and drama goes much deeper than just the time of year... More to come soon :)

[Ted Arabian]

Larry... that is quite a story! Yep. Definitely feature written all over that! We're you thinking of pulling a segment out of that for dramafest or trying to encompass all of that in 6 minutes???

And Brandon/Larry... I see about the "Christmas" theme. I get it. Cool. Didn't mean to sound negative or anything. I just love that this site exists to bounce ideas and feedback. I was just throwing out a thought that came to my mind.

Good luck with #3!

Looking forward to more....

Ted

BTW - Brandon, I love the "time of year" thread you started in Cafe ala DVX.

[Brandon Rice]

Thanks Ted! Yeah, I didn't take the comment as a negative... in fact, as Larry mentioned, he and I had discussed that very same issue that you mentioned :) Thanks!

[Ted Arabian]

Cool!

[Larry Rutledge]

Larry... that is quite a story! Yep. Definitely feature written all over that! We're you thinking of pulling a segment out of that for dramafest or trying to encompass all of that in 6 minutes??? Well, my intention was to pull a segment out of it, using much of the story simply as my personal backstory info to drive the characters (what makes them say what they say, the way they say it. And what makes them behave the way they do, etc, etc). One of the biggest hurdles I ran into was finding the right balance of how much backstory needed to come through for the story to make sense, and how to do it without a group of talking heads (which is what I kept ending up with). I still think I could have done it, with a little more time...but I like the story we are going with now and it allows me to not chop up my original idea :)


And Brandon/Larry... I see about the "Christmas" theme. I get it. Cool. Didn't mean to sound negative or anything. I just love that this site exists to bounce ideas and feedback. I was just throwing out a thought that came to my mind. Oh, admit it ... you're jealous you didn't go with a Christmas theme and so you were throwing negative vibes our way to try and trip us up :evil: :grin:

Yea, B-Dawg and I had a simliar discussion yesterday...but I think it will work out just fine :) :fingers-crossed-smilie:

[Charli]

OMG Brandon! You are going to win the prize for the person with the most
loglines and synopsis. While others struggle for a story, you've got them by
a truckload, pick one! Just one.

Okay, maybe pick two, but film one.

[Kyle Stebbins]

No doubt. Charli is right... I envy that about you, Brandon.

I'm calling you soon, B-man.
-Kyle

[Brandon Rice]

I'm calling you soon, B-man.
-Kyle

Cool! Call me tonight if you can, I have a pretty free night.

[Larry Rutledge]

Sorry guys, I think the problem this time around is his longwinded scribe. :embarasse I tried to make CHECKMATE work, but it was just too much story for so little time.

I think we got it this time though :fingers-crossed-smilie:

[Brandon Rice]

hehe, naw Larry, you've done a fine fine job! I think the two story concepts previous were just too large of scope to do... I think this one will be great.

[khmuse]

Sorry guys, I think the problem this time around is his longwinded scribe. :embarasse I tried to make CHECKMATE work, but it was just too much story for so little time.

I think we got it this time though :fingers-crossed-smilie:

I think that this is a problem for many here. It is really hard to do any story justice with a 6 minute TRT.

Best of luck on "It Happened One Night"!

[Jason Ramsey]

I think it was because I was hogging Larry with "RE-BIRTH" (shameless plug). But you did a great job on "RE-BIRTH" (nother one) Larry.

I'm sure he will ink something nice for you Brandon.

Jason

[Brandon Rice]

I think that this is a problem for many here. It is really hard to do any story justice with a 6 minute TRT.

Best of luck on "It Happened One Night"!

Yeah... agreed....

Thanks Kevin!

On another completely off-topic note... I am editing a Doc. on Thomas Edison right now... he's a pretty big figure to us here... after all, he invented the movie camera, and he invented the light bulb... the two things we have to use to create what we create... interesting...

[VersuS]

Good luck on the final(?) project!

ps. Larry that story for Broken Shadows sounds really nice. Reminded me a bit of 'The Majestic' with Jim Carrey.

[Brandon Rice]

Tagline and synopsis added!

[Brandon Rice]

Update: It appears someone has made a little gag thread... I don't very much appreciate it... but what the heck... have fun... Just so everyone knows though... the only reason we keep changing films is truly because we want a great short COMPLETE piece. thanks.

[Tom Marshall]

Hey Bman... I agree. It's important to find something that fits the allocated 6 minute time. If you've come up with 2 different ideas for features, then that's awesome... :)

[Brandon Rice]

Thanks Dude! Yeah... both previous ideas were ORIGINALLY feature ideas we tried to squeeze into shorts, and it just didn't work... this however is an original short film concept...

[Brandon Rice]

UPDATE:

I wanted to make Noa/Rice Digital's previous DVXuser festival entries available for public viewing online... so without further adieu... here they are...


2006 DVXuser Sci-Fest Entry- "A Price Too High"

www.noaricedigital.com/apth/apth_web.mov

2006 DVXuser Horrorfest Entry- "Into the Darkness"

www.noaricedigital.com/horror/ITD.mov

[Larry Rutledge]

Well, draft 1 should be done today. :) I've got a lot of images/scenes in my head, so I'm just trying to get them all sorted into a cohesive, meaningful pattern and then connect them with story.

[Jason Ramsey]

Cool. Glad to see that the writing seems to be going a little more smoothly for you on this one than the other two, Larry.

Looking forward to it.
Jason

[Brandon Rice]

Well, here's some BIG news... and I am sad to say it really...

I spoke with my co-director and filmmaking partner Daniel this morning. After we finished, we had come to an agreement that he and I need to focus on getting our film Smuggler's Ransom into people's hands this Winter (Dec. Jan.). That having been said, I am sorry to say that we are going to have to withdraw from Dramafest.

I think for the future it will be much more important to focus on Smuggler's Ransom right now. Don't get me wrong! I highly value these festival and in many ways credit what I've been able to accomplish to the DVXuser fests. I am looking forward to ALL of the films this time around, and I am sure they'll be fantastic!

I also want to mention that Larry has been a good sport and didn't shoot me for withdrawing, haha! Larry is also working with me on some other feature ideas which we'll be able to have on the table when we're speaking to Exec's, etc.

Thanks all for understanding, and here's to a great festival!

[Kyle Stebbins]

Best of luck to you and SR, B-man... sad to see you pull out of the fest. I hope to read more and more updates on your Smuggler's thread! Best of luck to ya, buddy!

-Kyle

[Jason Ramsey]

It's kinda sad to here you're withdrawing, but I understand that you have got priorities, and I wish you the best of luck with "Smugglers Ransom" and beyond.

Jason

[235 Studios]

I'm sorry to hear that you are withdrawing- I completely understand and wish you the best of luck with Smuggler's Ransom. :beer:

[Brandon Rice]

Thank you very much guys for the kind words! Pulling out is really hard for me to do, because I love these fests and love making films... but yeah, priorities are priorities! At least I get to show you all Captain Fundraiser when it's done (maybe 1 to 2 more weeks) and then of course Smuggler's very soon as well! Thanks again and good luck!

[Ted Arabian]

Hey Brandon, Sorry to hear the news.... BUT! I bet that come the last 2 weeks of January, you are going to find the time to do a quick shoot and submit! (I'll keep my fingers crossed anyway!)

Good luck to you on SR!

Ted

[Blaine]

Hey Brandon, Sorry to hear the news.... BUT! I bet that come the last 2 weeks of January, you are going to find the time to do a quick shoot and submit! (I'll keep my fingers crossed anyway!)

Good luck to you on SR!

Ted
Little Bro in the FRONT yard...:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)

[Darkline]

It's a shame Brandon, the fest wont be the same wihtout your involvement. Hopefully you'll still be around to post a couple of reviews or comments

good luck with Smugglers!

[Beat Takeshi]

WHAT?!? Theres always time to make a short. Out of all the days left you are really going to be working on S.R. that whole time?

[Larry Rutledge]

Well, if he pulls something out now it will have to be his little brother in the front yard because I have moved on to other things, so neither BROKEN SHADOWS nor IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT scripts were finished.

Or it could be a DRAMA-tic warping film :grin: