Spencer Katz Presents....

[mobiledeli]

My SpyFest Entry


KATZ PICTURES presents
a SPENCER KATZ film

T E A C H E R' S - P E T
S Y N O P S I S:
The basic gist of it is: A teacher gives the class a pop quiz except she is going to leave the room. The catch? Someone in the room is her "spy" and will tell her if anyone cheated afterward. But who is the spy?

This movie has connections that range from Lord of the Flies to the cartoon Naruto. It is basically a social experiment to see what happens when

C A S T:
Rob.....................Steve Garelick
Teacher.................Harriet Beim
Josh..........................Adam May
Sydney....................Sarah Levy
Matt....................Matt Montalto
Dan.......................Tom Sullivan
Dan's Friend..........Dan Podnos
Nate...............Javier Rodriguez
Kid....................................????
Josh's Friend.....................????
Brian.........Gage Blanck-Singer
John..........................Alex Hare
John's Friend.....................????
Sydney's Friend................????


- And a classroom full of extras

C R E W:
Spencer Katz................Director/Editor/DP/Writer/Etc...
Tom Sullivan...............Boom Operator/Sound Designer
Justin R. Durban.............................Amazing Composer
Anthony Vicente..........................On Set Photographer

- And a bunch of random helpers

I N F O R M A T I O N:

Equipment
Panasonic DVX100a
M2 w/ Nikon Mount (Hardmounted)
50mm f1.8, 28mm f2.8, 135mm f2.8
Ikan 7" Monitor w/ Accessories
Hyson Films Matte Box
DIY Kinos and Chinaballs

Locations/Shooting Schedule
INT. CLASSROOM - DAY
Spanned through 3 days of shooting
Potential Second Setting
One day of shooting

Much more information to come!

Current Status:
Script Revision

[mobiledeli]

U P D A T E S:

/\/\/\/\/\/\3.14.2007/\/\/\/\/\/\

Today, the idea came to me. I was sitting in English class and I started thinking about SpyFest and how I can't think of anything then BAM! I got this idea! I totally ignored the teacher and wrote the movie all period. I got my beginngin and end, but the middle isn't coming to me. I know what i want to happen, I just don't know how to fit/orchestrate it into six minutes.
Either way, today I officially started writing. The beginning came naturally and fantastically. I have the first act (2 pages) all done and timed out. It may not seem like a lot (a whole 2 pages!) but for thinking of the idea today I'm pretty proud. Tomorrow I plan to flesh out the middle and get it how i want it and write it.
/\/\/\/\/\/\3.14.2007/\/\/\/\/\/\ - Part 2

I decided to take a stab at photoshop to create a banner for my film. I think its okay... seeing as how I have no title. The basic design (not that there is much) will probably remain the same.
/\/\/\/\/\/\3.15.2007/\/\/\/\/\/\

Today was a big day for me! All day in school I just wrote and rewrote the movie. I now know just about everything about what I want to happen. I also planned how I will light a few shots, including one of a wide shot in a classroom. I'm going to hang china balls from the ceiling (because it's got the panels you can push out.) But I wonder how much weight they can take? I'll have to find that out. Anyway, I'm making a lot of progress including casting three of my actors. So far so good!
/\/\/\/\/\/\3.15.2007/\/\/\/\/\/\ - Part 2

Officially came up with a title! "Teacher's Pet" courtesy of Charli!
/\/\/\/\/\/\3.19.2007/\/\/\/\/\/\

Yesterday, I recieved my china balls in the mail and only one of them worked so I need to send the other back. But anyway, the script is coming along, not quite finished yet. I should have a first draft done by tonight. We shall see
/\/\/\/\/\/\3.23.2007/\/\/\/\/\/\

Last night I finished the first draft of the screenplay! Unfortunately it's ten pages! Uh-oh!

[Mark Harris]

great man, cannot wait to see it!!!!!

[mobiledeli]

Thanks Mark. I really plan on pulling ALL the stops on this one. I'm starting right now! I want every possible second to get it absolutely perfect. Shooting I suspect should take place sometime early next month. I'm really excited for this film because it's the first where I feel like I understand every aspect of my equiptment (like hardmounting/edge to edge focusing the M2 and building lights). I'm really excited to see my, and everyone elses entry!

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Sounds interesting...

Good luck!

Mike

[mobiledeli]

I'm really hoping that this can stand out. My last entries have been really bad and I finally think I have grasped what was out of my reach before. This could turn out to be my best film to date.

[Edgen]

spencer, Looking forward to checking out your film. Hopefully you'll nailed down a title before it's all said and done. :)

cheers!
/j

[mobiledeli]

yeah i dunno, i always seem to not be able to think of a title. but now i got lots of time, so... title here i come!

[Charli]

Hey, the title of your spyfest should be:

The Insider
To Catch A Cheat
Cheatbusters (if it's a comedy)
One Among Us
Teacher's Pet

Well, that's what I came up with. Good luck!

[mobiledeli]

WOAHHHH I like teacher's pet! I think im gonna use that! thanks a lot Charli! do you want a credit in the film??

[mobiledeli]

made a new banner :)

[mobiledeli]

I was thinking: I have to shoot a wide establishing shot of the class room and I think that the following lighting diagram would be good. Could you please take a look?

The ceiling is a criss cross pattern with panels in it. My plan is to lift a panel out and wrap a wire around the rafters and hang a china ball from it.

Here's what I was thinking:
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/3307/1174012717.jpg
L - Large China Ball (8 bulbs)
S - China Ball (4 bulbs)
K - Kino (2 bulb each)
C - Camera

[blckhawk542]

Yo Spencer...I havent been able to log on Facebook to message you back.

If you still want me to help out its cool. PM me on here..my Facebook is messed up..

[Charli]

mob - cool, glad you liked the title. No credit, a writer gets credit only if they change 40% of the script, I think that's the standard. I'm glad to have gotten you a title, woooo hooooo.

[mobiledeli]

charli haha im forever in debt for the title

[mobiledeli]

does anyone have any opinion about the lighting setup?

[blckhawk542]

If you took a picture of the room...its hard to decide not knowing the exact size of the room and other specifics..

[mobiledeli]

okay ill do it tomorrow and update yall... also i got some new lights today, but im having a hard time with these stupid china balls!!

[mobiledeli]

scripting awayyyy

[Ted Arabian]

Hey mobiledell! Good work going on here. Best to you!

I wanted to aplogize that I never got around to posting on your dramafest thread. I really thought that you did a nice job. You had some great tension happening there. I took notes that I wanted to post but I had a very busy Feb. and never got around to posting them. I am sorry.

I know that khmuse, who is very busy right now, could be of some valuable assistance to you in lighting. Even if you visit his VIOLET thread in dramafest, he has some lighting set-ups there that he did in a classroom. And he is always very helpful is he has the time. (His name is Kevin if you get around to PMing him.)

Best of luck to you. I do apologize that I never got around to posting in dramafest... I really loved seeing the growth in your filmmaking.

Again, good luck!

-Ted

[mobiledeli]

theodore i totally understand, and ill look at violet too.

unrelated, i finished the first draft of the screenplayyy!

[Mark Harris]

awesome dude. Yeah, I agree, it was hard to make any call on those lighting plots without any lighting to look at. If you do any tests, post them!

[mobiledeli]

I'm getting there; as far as completion goes. I'm writing really hard and I almost finished casting. Lighting tests are gonna come this week, just to make sure I know how to light it on the days of shooting!