FAT MONSTER FILMS presents "O2" ... Every. Breath. Counts.

hey Zak, Jim the gf and I are going tonight. NO thanks to an invite from Matty (grrrrr) Let me know what the deal is as far as price, Red Carpet, etc.. (you can PM me. or email me.) Thanks.
 
Hey guys,

You're having waaaaayyyy too much fun here! And that's the way it ought to be. :) I know you're hearing this a lot, but really looking forward to seeing this. With all of the entries in this fest, I'm sure this is a 'Must Watch'! It's going to be fun to see them all.

Thanks for keeping us entertained and informed (sometimes TMI) during your production.
 
Blaine said:
Damn, Robert. You're in SoCal, how did you miss being at the shoot? :huh:
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Oh, I was there. I was that guy that everyone kept asking 'hey, who's that guy, do you know who that guy is over there?' :)

I was there in spirit and keeping tabs on your thread. Great job!
 
A number of people are missing, but here's a partial cast/crew picture:

CastCrew.jpg
 
I can't get over how cool that set is. Looks like Battlestar Galactica.

What's the story there? Did you guys really build the thing from scratch? Is it in a garage? A studio? Ignore me if you're waiting to reveal the gory details. Either way I hope you have a boatload of BTS. :thumbsup:
 
Jared Meyer said:
I can't get over how cool that set is. Looks like Battlestar Galactica.

What's the story there? Did you guys really build the thing from scratch? Is it in a garage? A studio? Ignore me if you're waiting to reveal all the gory details. I hope you have a boatload of BTS for all the nitty gritty stuff. Can't wait.
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Happy to oblige, Jared. I think I wrote about this previously in the thread, but it's worth repeating because I think it's important. This set is located in North Hollywood at Laurel Canyon Studios. Shortly after LoveFest finished I told Tim I wanted to do a sci-fi short. I asked him if he knew any spaceship sets as he has prowled the entire city looking at almost every sound stage available for shooting music videos (our bread and butter). He had looked at the Laurel Canyon green screen stage and recalled they had an entire second sound stage with spaceship sets.

I researched the place and made a call to find out day rates. As expected, I learned we could not afford the place if we had to pay their rates. However, I am a firm believer that almost everyone and every entity has a "persuasive point" that will allow you to get what you want as long as you think out of the box and are resourceful. We HAVE to operate this way. Fat Monster operates on a shoestring and we simply cannot afford to spend much money.

I've made it a personal passion and challenge to figure out how to get things for free or at least dirt cheap. The key, though, is that I insist that the other party feel that they have either gotten something in return or that they genuinely feel good about the transaction. This town is full of starving indie shooters who play the poverty card and think that sympathy will get them what they need. In the end, it may work once or twice, but quickly that gets old and most of the locations/providers in L.A. have heard that one too often.

Thus, I really study my "quarry" and work hard to figure out what makes them tick. For instance, we shot for four days on Whidbey Island north of Seattle and stayed at a 10-bedroom compound and not only got a piano donated, but got it towed to the beach for the Vienna Teng video all because I figured out how to convince the owner that being part of the shoot was a good thing for him. We had an entire airport donated for WTHL and a stunt plane/pilot as well as two fire trucks, an ambulance and fireman uniforms all for a tank of diesel. For this film we got "A"-list props/FX expert Dragon Dronet to help us gratis as well as Levie Isaacks ASC by figuring out how to make this shoot something they wanted to be part of.

I was a trial lawyer for 14 years and it was my job to study persuasive science because in each jury trial millions of dollars hinged on convincing the jurors to want to help our client. There is no real "magic" to our techniques but there are plenty of deliveries of floral bouquets to secretaries and staff, carefully crafted handwritten letters, and phone calls to people who may have some connection. Above everything, the most important factor is to get people to like you and feel they know you. Thus, I paid several visits to Laurel Canyon Stages just so I could get to know the players involved and figure out how to make them feel helping us was the right thing.

Some people may see our film and think we paid a huge bankroll. Nothing could be further from the truth. The people who flew in to help us paid their own way and we fed them cheap pasta at the monster shack and $6/head catering on the set. We got the spaceship sets donated to us along with the complete lighting/grip rental and merely had to pay for the stage hand ($300/day) and electricity with a small cleanup fee. We've made great friends and have already shot a paying gig (music video) on the green screen stage at a significantly reduced rate. Laurel Canyon WANTS to help us because they believe that we are a safe bet to be climbing the ladder as a production house and that we will remember them when we have a bigger budget and our choice of sound stages.

I believe firmly that the majority of people and companies can be "romanced" and "persuaded" to give you what you want either for free or at a huge discount. I noticed that Ted got a bunch of HazMat suits for his short the other day all because he approached the fire department with respect and seeking their expertise. By respecting their knowledge and experience he made them respect him and want to help his production.

If I could offer advice to fellow filmmakers I would suggest they either spend time developing "schmoozing" arts or find someone to partner with who is a natural in that department. Every single project we have shot since Tim and I started last September has been based on the premise that we will NOT pay full rate but we WILL make our providers feel they have received something of equivalent value in return.

Much more valuable to us than any location has been the hard working DVXUSER crew that chose to join us simply for the experience. Here's the list of DVXUSERs on our crew:

Mark Johnson (writer/producer/VFX)
Slimothy (director)
Blaine (line producer)
J.R. Hudson (1st AD)
Barry Green (co-producer)
Jack Daniel Stanley (writer)
bosindy (script supervisor)
MattinSTL (sound mixer)
Geoff R (D.I.T.)
Matty g (1st AC)
siniarch (gaffer)
Arrik (electric)
Kholi (2nd AC)
Edgen (composer)
Brad S. (sound design)
Tom Marshall (extra)
Ted Arabian (grip)
Raptor365 (visual fx)
artofsuntzu (grip)
Kyle Stebbins (grip/bts)
Scott Bullis (production coordinator)

We had many more DVXUSERs who stopped by the set simply to watch too. The reason we got this good reception is that we have worked on sets for the majority of these USERS as crew ourselves and have devoted ourselves to promoting the twin goals of LEARNING and ENJOYMENT on our sets. Yeah, we can seem like a frat party (FRAT MONSTER) but we're deadly serious about our shoots and about becoming better filmmakers. Anyone who has worked with us knows this and appreciates that we work hard on both counts.

The Dude

p.s.: I do recommend that everybody read "The Declaration of Independent Filmmaking" by the Polish brothers. I believe their attitude and their experiences are very important and useful to any indie shooter.
 
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Wow Mark, that is a great post! Right now I'm reading 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' and your comments are very much in line with those concepts.

Btw, are you still practicing law?
 
shawneous said:
Wow Mark, that is a great post! Right now I'm reading 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' and your comments are very much in line with those concepts.

Btw, are you still practicing law?
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In 1993 I threw my clothes and recording gear in a U-Haul and got a tow-bar for my Miata and headed to California. I was going through a divorce and woke up one day and decided I wanted to start over so I fired my own attorney and signed the house, bank accounts etc. over to my ex-wife (who I always admired and liked even after we figured we couldn't stay married). It was either insanity or a cleansing experience, depending which of my friends you speak with. I haven't ever regretted any of it and it really started chapter 2 of my life.

I tried painting landscapes in Napa, consulted on movie and television shows as a legal expert (got to work for Sydney Pollack on The Firm) and I taught college courses - eventually becoming the chairman of the multimedia department of a small college in San Jose. I worked a summer for Apple Computer and MTV at the MTV Beach House on Long Island in 1994. I remarried and had a son, who is now 13 and wants to be a writer too. His mom and I divorced in 2000 but remain best friends.

So, its been a long journey. Through all of it I've been making little short films and have kept working on my writing. It wasn't until I met Tim Hyten, though, that I really felt like I had found the yin to my yang. He and I are an unlikely pair, but remain devoted to the same goals and truly believe we will eventually reach a higher ledge on this weird mountain. I can't say enough about him as a friend and as a business partner.
 
Blaine said:
So you don't have to search the whole thread...

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=1275495&postcount=857
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Thanks Blaine! :thumbsup:


Mark Johnson said:
Happy to oblige, Jared. I think I wrote about this previously in the thread, but it's worth repeating because I think it's important. This set is located in North Hollywood at Laurel Canyon Studios....
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Mark, that post is gold...Thank you! I'd pay to take a masterclass from you some day in the fine art of schmoozing :)

Couple times Tim has mentioned using burger containers and other bits and pieces to throw up on the walls of the ship...Was he kidding or did you guys really augment the set as well?
 
wow, this looks like a winner. love the bts pics as well. It's great how you got so much done without spending a lot of money.
 
Jared Meyer said:
Mark, that post is gold...Thank you! I'd pay to take a masterclass from you some day in the fine art of schmoozing :)
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Ha ha! That is a high compliment Jared. When Kyle made my crew tag the title given was "Schmoozemeister" and I happily accept that role for FM. I am very mindful that my tips and suggestions pale in significance when compared to some of the people who have practically written books of helpful advice and guidance here such as Adam Cultraro's production blog. However, if I can help any of you, my mates, become better cheap bastards then I will feel happy and fulfilled. I do hope you can join us for a FM shoot in the near future, Jared.


Jared Meyer said:
Couple times Tim has mentioned using burger containers and other bits and pieces to throw up on the walls of the ship...Was he kidding or did you guys really augment the set as well?
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As Blaine said, those items are part of the set and one of the things that really makes me feel affectionate about the place is the incredible amount of wonky crap that has been thrown together. It is almost a metaphor for the whole Hollywood experience. If you look too hard the illusion evaporates and you realize that you are standing amidst old printer parts and discarded shipping containers. However, when the lighting gets set and the smoke machine is turned on your imagination transports you to a the deck of a space freighter and you become part of the conspiracy of magic that has fueled this town for decades. Truly, there have been few times more joyful and satisfying in my life as the times we have a crew working together to create an imaginary world for the enjoyment of an unknown viewing audience. I know that most people here share that feeling and it is why we do what we do.
 
Mark Johnson said:
Happy to oblige, Jared. I think I wrote about this previously in the thread, but it's worth repeating because I think it's important. This set is located in North Hollywood at Laurel Canyon Studios. Shortly after LoveFest finished I told Tim I wanted to do a sci-fi short. I asked him if he knew any spaceship sets as he has prowled the entire city looking at almost every sound stage available for shooting music videos (our bread and butter). He had looked at the Laurel Canyon green screen stage and recalled they had an entire second sound stage with spaceship sets.

And lots more awesome stuff...
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Great post Mark. I think what we need is to put our efforts into inventing a cloning device, so we can make more MJs to spread around.

Joe worked the angles to get many of the same for our shoot. And many of them (including our super pro gaffer) complimented us on how organized we were.

I've said it around here before. Another thing that makes people want to come help for little or nothing is if you look like you know what you are doing and are serious about your work and not just wasting their time.

You are a huge inspiration, dude.
 
Mark Harris said:
Great post Mark. I think what we need is to put our efforts into inventing a cloning device, so we can make more MJs to spread around.

Joe worked the angles to get many of the same for our shoot. And many of them (including our super pro gaffer) complimented us on how organized we were.

I've said it around here before. Another thing that makes people want to come help for little or nothing is if you look like you know what you are doing and are serious about your work and not just wasting their time.

You are a huge inspiration, dude.
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And you inspire me, my hirsute friend. I have watched you create the most amazing moods and characters over the past two years and I don't think anyone touches you when smokey grit is on the menu (well, I hope nobody touches you ... at least not your private parts, unless ... but I digress). You know what I mean. I still recall that all-too-brief time you came out here and how much you are the epitome of the denizens I like to hang with. I'm hoping we can figure somewhere in the midwest to meet and shoot something. Maybe your Ohio town or my Kansas one. Somewhere. For sure.
 
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