Carte Blanche - A Feature Film Written & Directed by Matt Kieley

aurantaurant said:
I say get them away from the walls. The shots would be a whole lot more interesting if there wasn't a wall directly behind them.

But then you'd say, "but that's where the couch is". And to that I say, "move the couch."
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I agree with your take.

Definitely try to get them away from plain walls.

Good luck with the rest of shooting.

-M
 
On Friday, my friend Zoey came and took some production stills:

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Coryn was in The Vagina Monologues last year.

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Coryn McBride and Chris DeBondt

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Coryn looks up at me as I give her the only direction I've been giving throughout the shoot: Do it happier, and with your mouth open.

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Walrus

Photos by Zoey Wolfe.
 
When I was watching some of the footage the other night, I started to wonder why I thought I had the right to take elements from someone else's life and put it in my film, or why I decided to shift the focus of the film to Helena, or how I could even do it from a realistic or personal perspective, since I never experienced it myself, when it hit me: Helena isn't really based on Fred. She's me. Even though Elliott is the filmmaker, and everything that happens to him int he film, happened to me, I'm not really him anymore. All the scenes of Helena meeting people and trying to connect to them, making pathetic phone calls to a person who has no romantic interest in her anymore, are all things that I've done. The fact that she tries to win back her ex by having an art show and reading a poem written as a tribute to him, mirrors my own goals with this film. I think in many ways I tried to write something about her, to understand her better, and hopefully re-connect to her, with the hopes that she'd be impressed and give me a second chance.

I didn't realize this consciously, until now. Even though when I met her, she was the one still hung-up on someone for a long time, she's moved on, and now I've taken her place. The affair she has in the film echoes where I am now: disinterested in pursuing a meaningful relationship, but still desperate enough to crave someone else's attention, regardless of whether you like them or not, and the end of the film is where I hope to be after I make the film: completely over her, and with someone who actually cares about me romantically. This is a revelation that will make directing the film a lot simpler, and much more personal and honest.
 
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digital therapy is more effective than analogue therapy because digital can be easily manipulated .... the fields are leveled now; anyone can fall in and out of love without getting super hurt.
 
Some hooligans stabbed my front left tire eight times. Good thing I have parents who will let me take their car so I can go film.
 
Shot in public today, at a park. I haven't done that in a while. We found a nice discreet spot where the sound was perfect. It was quite thrilling. I tossed the script and we improvised, and I think it's going to work better than what I wrote.
 
Has anyone here ever had to re-cast an important role in the middle of production? I'm not sure a certain actor's read of the character is right. I don't know if that's my fault as a director or not, but we had extensive conversations about the script and character, and I wasn't completely sure then he really got it. I would explain my intentions, and what I wanted, but he always wanted to conform it to what he thinks it should be. I even re-wrote the script a week before production to try and fit what he wanted, but it wasn't what I wanted. The work he's doing is good, but I just don't think it's right. I don't get the gut feeling I have when I shoot Coryn's part. I get more and more confident every day of working with her that she's absolutely the right person for the role, and that she gets it. I don't have to shoot very many takes with her, and she can completely improvise her dialogue and still get it right. I feel like I'm shooting far more footage with this other actor, and completely tossing his part in favor of something that is either completely out of place, or too obvious. I think I just wanted this person for the role because he's one of the best actors I know, but I didn't stop to consider whether he was truly right for the role, and now I'm not so sure he is. We're taking this coming week off since it's tech week for Coryn's play, and she has a week-long dog-sitting job, so I'm going to edit some more before I make a final decision.
 
I'm a little confused by that post.

Firstly, you shouldn't rewrite the script because an actor says "it should be like this". I have a lot of respect for actors and if they have good ideas I will always consider them and write them into the script if they are good ideas. But if you, the writer/director thinks these ideas are not going to work, then you should not change the script...Ever! Explain to the actor, that that is the character. It's not a "make up as you go along" character.

Secondly, it's quite late to cut an actor. I mean, if you didn't think he was right for the role,that problem should have been addressed in rehearsal or at the very latest, day one of shooting. You seem unsure if it's right or not. You have to make a decision and say it's working or it's not working. There's no middle.

Recasting will mean more work on your other actors, it would suck making them come back to redo all their parts again.

Keep in mind some actors need more direction than others. So, on set, if it's not working, you need to take a break and talk through the character with the actor. Give him something to work with. Images, ideas, verbs, things that are playable directions. It's really a bit late for this though if you're already half way through the film...you can't have an inconsistent performance.
 
I should clarify. He's not just an actor I met recently, he's also one of my best friends. We had a lot of discussions about the script, and I thought some of his criticisms were valid at the time. I re-wrote the script because I really wanted to, but when I did, I tried to modify his part to fit his voice, working with some of his criticisms. And I liked what he was doing at first, on set, but now that I'm starting to cut it together, it isn't really working. I went ahead and worked with him because I didn't think I had any other options, but now I'm seeing things differently. Although we've shot half the film, and for two weeks, we haven't shot with him ever single day. We would only have a few days worth of stuff to re-shoot. I've been shooting all of the other characters' parts--stuff that, even if I keep him on board and try to change his view of the character, I would want to re-shoot anyway. But like I said, I'm going to spend the week off cutting some more before I make my final decision.
 
Hmm. That is a tough situation to be in, casting your best friends as actors. The first thing I'd do would be sit down and talk through the character, you need to explain to your actor/friend what is not working and why, and take charge there. Get his opinions. Show him some of the bits that arn't working. And then I guess after that conversation/checking out the edit you'll need to decide what you're going to do from there, either reshoot with him or someone else, as you said.

Good luck..let us know what you decide to do!
 
I re-shot a scene with a new actor, and my instincts were right. The re-casting is definitely the right direction. Working with the actor was always a compromise, but I didn't think I had any other options until recently. When I see the new actor, I really see the character. He has the right kind of awkwardness necessary for the character, which is something I couldn't really direct (it's a nuance that, I feel, only the person who is truly right for the role can convey). Plus the other actor was too charismatic, and no matter how much I stressed how awkward and socially inept the character is supposed to be, I never saw it. He's supposed to ask out the girl and get rejected, but remain friends with her. I get a genuine sense of friendship when I get Coryn together with this new actor. Since I've made up my mind on this, I guess I can finally introduce you guys to the new Elliott:

Brandon Nebitt:

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He used to be the boom guy:

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Something is wrong here. You may have made a mistake that cannot be fixed.

This is not how to make a movie. But then it doesn't have to be a movie.

It's a happening. LOL

There are ways to cast, recast, shoot and reshoot, but what you've done is not how it works.

Ask yourself this question: would you have been better in the role?

Is this movie fictional or autobiographical?

Since you're shooting video, it would be interesting to shoot the whole movie with each actor in the same role and then give it a professional editor to decide which actor performed better.

Good luck.... Whatever you decide to do is the right thing ... because you're the producer, and nobody can fire you. LOL
 
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