"Corrado" - A production blog

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They might've been watching True Lies at the station where they put guns into the news camera at the end.... Then got a little carried away playing super-cops.
 
man, im 17, living in Australia and want to do make films as a living, reading this thread has given such inspiration to me. thank you so much.

congrats and good luck on your next films. Hopefully i'll be able to purchase this film from over here
 
If you're in Australia, check out "Gabriel" a recent indie Aussie production worth seeing; shot on a JVC GY-HD101E HD camera and picked up by SONY distribution. I have yet to sit down and watch the film but the few scenes I did watch looked really good! So there's positive action happening in your backyard also.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_(film)
 
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Would like to know how much Sony Pictures gave them to finish the effects shots.

Would like to know how much Sony Pictures gave them to finish the effects shots.

jonesy123 said:
yeah, i've seen it. Amazing for a 200,000 dollar budget
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It looks like a fun B movie you'd pick up on a Friday night from the video store to watch with a few mates.

Everyone worked for free..Hope they got paid when they sold the film...
 
The footage I saw looked better than most "B" movies. I don't know about the acting nor the story itself but the images are impressive. Can you imagine what these people could do with a real budget?
 
Another question, not sure if you might know this or not, but do big actors generally have oppositions to short films if you have the money to pay their day rate?

Or would I be laughed at for even asking?
 
Gohanto said:
Another question, not sure if you might know this or not, but do big actors generally have oppositions to short films if you have the money to pay their day rate?

Or would I be laughed at for even asking?
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you wouldn't be laughed at. many name actors like doing shorts. joey pantoliano, for example, sent me an email saying he'd be down for doing something like IFHY... and that he's actually been looking to do some shorts.
 
Zak Forsman said:
you wouldn't be laughed at. many name actors like doing shorts. joey pantoliano, for example, sent me an email saying he'd be down for doing something like IFHY... and that he's actually been looking to do some shorts.
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Are you serious? Wow Zak, you've accomplished more with 20 hours making that short than I have with all my shorts put together.

Thanks for the info. Gives me something to look forward to when I finally move out of Indiana and closer to LA.
 
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haha! thanks. although, it should be said that it wasn't the short that got me in touch with him. he's a friend of a friend.
 
Zak Forsman said:
haha! thanks. although, it should be said that it wasn't the short that got me in touch with him. he's a friend of a friend.
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And this is the way you get name actors to perform in shorts. You know someone who knows them. Otherwise they seldom if ever do them. There's no money in them and no chance for significant acclaim.
 
Are you going to post the updated version of the trailer? I just read 103 pages (thank you, by the way... the information was priceless) and I'm really excited to see it!
 
Not sure if I am going to do a trailer at all now. I am in the thick of discussions with a couple distributors, none of which are really wanting a trailer, both verymuch wanting to see a finished film.

We did our two days of reshoots, and those went well. We captured good stuff. Unfortunately the loss of that evening due to being shut down because of the cops cost me a day, and I still need one more day.

I'm not really pissed about it, I've just resigned myself to it. What can I do - I did everything right as far as I know. Film LA feels bad, and has offered me to a free permit to make up for it, but that's it.

So Corrado is one filming "evening" away from being done. We'll do that day within the next couple weeks.
 
taormina said:
Not sure if I am going to do a trailer at all now. I am in the thick of discussions with a couple distributors, none of which are really wanting a trailer, both verymuch wanting to see a finished film.
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That seems like the case most of the time, however, trailers can open doors you hadn't expected to have open before... don't settle... get a bidding war going on if you can!
 
I'm a little over a week from picture lock, that elusive moment where the edit is etched in stone. I need to hand it off to the colorist and Kent (the post audio dude) so they can start. They obviously need to know the pic won't change before they invest hours of work into making Corrado look like a real film.

I can't wait until it's out of my hands and is well on it's way to being done. The loss of the night shoot was not a big deal, really it was a letdown in that Corrado can not be done shooting until we get that night.

And with all the people involved, it's not like I can just say "hey, let's come back tomorrow!" Between the talent, the DP, and the crew, the soonest we can make it happen is the 20th.

After that, Edo flies to Detroit to make the Fifth Mafia. Dick the sound mixer is in the Bahamas for a month filming. The DP will be filming a commerical. Johnny has all kinds of meetings.

So Corrado sits finished - as far as I can take it, save for two or three scenes.

I know it will sell. I have strong, genuine interest from two distributors. The selling of it is in the bag as far as I am concerned.

But that's not what I'm worried about right now. Right now I wonder if Corrado will be a good movie.

We made so many compromises during the filming for various reasons. So many films do this - it's not unique to Corrado. I just wonder what the film would've been like without those compromises. If we only had more time....if we only had more money. I'm sure everyone says the same thing.

I think the only way to get better at making films is to have more money, which gives you more time. And 2-3 pages per day would be a perfect pace to be able to create a good movie. About half of what we were doing (although after we get this last day Corrado would have ran 17 days).

Just thinking out loud, I guess.
 
taormina said:
We made so many compromises during the filming for various reasons. So many films do this - it's not unique to Corrado. I just wonder what the film would've been like without those compromises. If we only had more time....if we only had more money. I'm sure everyone says the same thing.
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George Lucas made all sorts of compromises from start to finish and ended up with Star Wars. He later got unlimited money and made Episode I. Spielberg compromised all over Jaws with the shark and it because a better movie because of it.

Certainly I believe more money would make life easier (and I think in most cases it does make better movies), but not every compromise is a bad one.

Also, I've read a lot about "you don't need a lot of money to make a good movie" which seems to be the montra of low budget filmmakers all over. You disagree with it and from reading this I'm starting to understand your point of view a lot better. Certainly with luck and boatloads of talent you can get Swingers, but from going through this thread about how all your budget was spent and all the stuff you had to deal with I can really understand why so few super low budget films ever turn out. It's a miracle they even get finished.

I hope the film turns out well and I'm extremely eager to see it (and the trailer if you end up doing one) but if nothing else you can always say you made a movie with Tom Sizemore.
 
taormina said:
I'm a little over a week from picture lock, that elusive moment where the edit is etched in stone. I need to hand it off to the colorist and Kent (the post audio dude) so they can start. They obviously need to know the pic won't change before they invest hours of work into making Corrado look like a real film.

I can't wait until it's out of my hands and is well on it's way to being done. The loss of the night shoot was not a big deal, really it was a letdown in that Corrado can not be done shooting until we get that night.

And with all the people involved, it's not like I can just say "hey, let's come back tomorrow!" Between the talent, the DP, and the crew, the soonest we can make it happen is the 20th.

After that, Edo flies to Detroit to make the Fifth Mafia. Dick the sound mixer is in the Bahamas for a month filming. The DP will be filming a commerical. Johnny has all kinds of meetings.

So Corrado sits finished - as far as I can take it, save for two or three scenes.

I know it will sell. I have strong, genuine interest from two distributors. The selling of it is in the bag as far as I am concerned.

But that's not what I'm worried about right now. Right now I wonder if Corrado will be a good movie.

We made so many compromises during the filming for various reasons. So many films do this - it's not unique to Corrado. I just wonder what the film would've been like without those compromises. If we only had more time....if we only had more money. I'm sure everyone says the same thing.

I think the only way to get better at making films is to have more money, which gives you more time. And 2-3 pages per day would be a perfect pace to be able to create a good movie. About half of what we were doing (although after we get this last day Corrado would have ran 17 days).

Just thinking out loud, I guess.
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You've reached that "OH ****" moment where you watch your film.. and generally think it is terrible.. and blame the lack of money.. the locations.. and everything... Its kind of that moment where you realize you can't change too much more to make it a 'better film' sure the sound mix will make it way cooler.. but its the point when it hits you..

Then after a period of time you learn to live with those comprimises.. and suddenly they don't seem as big of a deal anymore. Of course you always feel you could have made a better film.

making films is good times eh..

Its probably better than you think it is.
 
taormina said:
I'm a little over a week from picture lock.
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Moving fast bro... I thought I was quick having picture locked about a month and a half since we finished shooting (though we did just finish shooting the first scene three days ago)...

Good on ya though... glad to hear it's coming along... who is giving you notes on the edit?

We've been keeping it pretty close to the vest, just the EP, Director, and myself have been giving notes on the cuts (on 4 right now, 5 will be the final cut)
 
Loki said:
You've reached that "OH shi*" moment where you watch your film.. and generally think it is terrible.. and blame the lack of money.. the locations.. and everything... Its kind of that moment where you realize you can't change too much more to make it a 'better film' sure the sound mix will make it way cooler.. but its the point when it hits you..

Then after a period of time you learn to live with those comprimises.. and suddenly they don't seem as big of a deal anymore. Of course you always feel you could have made a better film.

making films is good times eh..

Its probably better than you think it is.
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Well I don't think it's terrible...that's an overstatement, but I just see things that could've been done better.

Interestingly enough one of my wife's friends came over last night and wanted to see one of the scenes. She wouldn't let me shut it off, wound up watching most of the movie, completely engrossed.

She laughed where she was supposed to laugh, was scared where she was supposed to be, and so on. It was cool. Great feedback. Kind of like a test screening.
 
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