DOC: 'Showdown for Sheriff' a one man band documentary diary

I’m working on a montage of most the main people participating in the voting process. Riding 46 miles round trip tomorrow. Have a 2pm and a 3pm in White Salmon then a 6:15 in Trout Lake. Friday I have 6 people scheduled around the county.

Worked on editing the intro to my trailer today while I scheduled these shoots. Editing the same thing for a long period is a strange process because at some point you’ve seen it so many times that when I make a change I wonder if it’s truly better, or am I liking it just because it’s somewhat new to me again?

Went up to film the crows eating that dead cow a few nights ago. Sure enough, there’s 10 crows when I show up. They fly off. I hike up the hill and set up under a tree, hit record so I literally won’t move when the crows come back…they will come back…right? Uh, no. Not one. Have I mentioned wildlife is challenging? Rained on the way home. Some days are better than others.

Makes me wonder if I’m going after that eagle shot since I have one from last year, i just wish it was better. A wildlife photographer i know told me to set up a blind/hide before sunrise and let it sit there a few days so the bald eagles get used to it. I can’t spend a few days waiting on a bald eagle shot…can I?

Matthew Marzano
Movies by Matt LLC
Coming Soon: Showdown for Sheriff: A Constitutional Conflict
www.moviesbymatt.com
www.showdownforsheriff.com
 
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So I’m back in NYC again as I must earn some money, so annoying. I hate becoming disconnected from my project. I plan to return in late January to get that eagle shot as it’s prime eagle season then and I’ve had to leave to work before they really return. I did think about licensing an eagle shot and checked some stock footage sites, of course I ran into some of Doug Jenson’s work, exceptional, of course, and they only cost $79, which is much cheaper and more efficient than going to get my own, but alas where is the adventure in that? I need a better lens setup too so I’m scouring eBay for 500mm and 600mm Canon EF lenses. Luckily I don’t need IS so there’s actually some semi-reasonably priced ones available.

I did not achieve my stated goal of an October release and it truly pains me that I didn’t get it out into the public during this last election cycle. So I’m going to resubmit to the Seattle International Film Festival, as I have significantly recut it since last year. I really want the help of an established festival for marketing purposes, but I also must face the facts that maybe they don’t want to give a platform to many of the opinions expressed in the movie. One in particular I actually called around to solicit peoples opinions on, many said to take it out, but in the end I left it in because I feel it expresses a viewpoint that many in this country have at this time and in the end I’m not here to sanitize those opinions, but to preserve them so future generations can see where we truly are as a society. That being said the comment is a rough one for sure.

I did manage to get some Native American perspectives finally. Funny story, I was filming the people with the controversial flag in Wishram. Right as I’m leaving an elderly native man drove by. I hustled my gear to my mom’s car (embarrassing but true) and as I’m driving out of Wishram there’s two roads up the hill and I’m frantically scanning both directions to see if I can see him. I did not. So I’m headed back to return the car and decided to stop at the Murdock gas station for some jojo’s. Lo and behold here he is!!! We talk for a few minutes and he takes my number and states that his sister runs a fireworks stand that the county attempted to shut down awhile ago. Perfect!!! As the main thing I’m after is jurisdictional issues between the county and the tribes.

We part ways, and much to my dismay the gas station was out of jojos!!! You can’t have it all I guess…anyway, a few weeks go by and I never hear from him. On a Sunday morning I’m going to a church in Goldendale where the Sheriff attends and I’m wanting to get the pastor to look directly into camera for this ending montage I’m putting together. Who walks in? The same gentleman I spoke to at the gas station!! I tell him it’s meant to be (I love saying that, it always cracks me up inside) and he tells me his address and apologized for not reaching out to me as his phone had issues. We managed to hook up later that day for a 10 minute interview, though he was going to another church service that evening so it was a bit rushed unfortunately. I filmed him on his porch and had we just walked 15 feet and rotated a bit I would’ve had the Columbia River as a backdrop…oh well, I may go back and try for that when I’m chasing my eagle. Ta-ta for now, m-

Matthew Marzano
Movies by Matt LLC
Coming Soon: Showdown for Sheriff: A Constitutional Conflict
www.moviesbymatt.com
www.showdownforsheriff.com
 
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My trailer is live:


Honest feedback on the trailer is appreciated.

I haven’t been updating this diary, but I’m almost finished. The only thing I’m still trying to track down is a hound handler that hunts cougars when the sheriff gives the signal, which only happens when the cougar is a threat to people or has killed livestock.

One of the toughest hurdles I’ve had on this project are people who agree to things but then won’t follow through, and it’s not like I’m paying them or anything, they’re essentially doing me a favor, but when they say yes, I persist, and if they just said no, I’d move on. I already moved on from my initial hound handler, and am now faced with maybe moving on from a second one. Both of them are agreeable while communicating but I can’t seem to get an exact shoot date planned. I really want some howling hounds…I’ll get there.

@NorBro, there’s complete sentences (yes even in my trailer) so I know it might be a bit too much for you, I joke, but i started paying attention to that in trailers and I swear the recent ‘Captain America’ trailer had only 2-7 words at a time. I think I’ll do another one with just text and music. Trailers are fun to edit. Ok, back to my edit. Thanks for following, m-

Matthew Marzano
Movies by Matt LLC
Coming Soon: Showdown for Sheriff: A Constitutional Conflict
www.moviesbymatt.com
www.showdownforsheriff.com
 
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Nice job, Matt. Good to see you resurface LOL... Two tips: Hold on the woke warning sign a little longer, or lose that shot if you don't want it taking too much time (it's a trailer after all) 2). You need to be less cryptic about what the film is actually about, i.e. the central conflict. What exactly is the Sheriff facing off against? I'm getting a states rights/red state resistance to something, but I think you need to be more specific. My 2C
 
ha, I watched the whole thing! I could do 2 minutes, getting better again.

Have no idea what's going on and this would never be anything I would ever go see unless you/anyone were in my circle (to support you, and I would pay attention) - but the images remind me of a Canon camera, very C300 Mark II-like with barely any grading which I like a lot.

I hope you make millions! 🤑
 
scorsesefan said:
Nice job, Matt. Good to see you resurface LOL... Two tips: Hold on the woke warning sign a little longer, or lose that shot if you don't want it taking too much time (it's a trailer after all) 2). You need to be less cryptic about what the film is actually about, i.e. the central conflict. What exactly is the Sheriff facing off against? I'm getting a states rights/red state resistance to something, but I think you need to be more specific. My 2C
Click to expand...
@ Scorsesefan thank you very much for taking time to watch and critique. I’m greatly appreciative. The length of time with that sign was definitely debated. Most agree with you that it needs to be held longer. I kept it short because, like you said, it’s a trailer. I figure if anyone truly wants to read it all, the viewer can go back. But to leave it up for a duration that allows one to read it fully would kill the momentum. I also watched many trailers who flash graphics up that are too quick to read. That’s my thinking, flawed as it may be. Another option is to make it the thumbnail, but I love that Welcome sign. Thanks again for weighing in.

As for the second part, i can undoubtedly be more clear about the issues and will heavily consider that when cutting the second trailer. Thank you again! m-

Matthew Marzano
Movies by Matt LLC
Coming Soon: Showdown for Sheriff: A Constitutional Conflict
www.moviesbymatt.com
www.showdownforsheriff.com
 
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NorBro said:
ha, I watched the whole thing! I could do 2 minutes, getting better again.

Have no idea what's going on and this would never be anything I would ever go see unless you/anyone were in my circle (to support you, and I would pay attention) - but the images remind me of a Canon camera, very C300 Mark II-like with barely any grading which I like a lot.

I hope you make millions! 🤑
Click to expand...
Thanks @NorBro. I appreciate you mustering the strength and tenacity to endure that trailer. Definitely wish viewers got the idea that it’s an election for sheriff from the trailer. I may have missed that as I’m deep in and most the people I show have heard me speak about it so have some initial context.

You nailed it. C300II. Light grading?!? Hah! It’s my first real color grading and it felt like a lot. But really I’m just after natural colors. That camera sings outdoors when properly exposed. Not totally stoked on the indoor colors. But may be user error and I need to be more accurate on my white balance settings. Thanks again for watching and the feedback. I hope to make millions too…but I’d be stoked to just to make ends meet enough to make another without having to work. Hoping, m-

Matthew Marzano
Movies by Matt LLC
Coming Soon: Showdown for Sheriff: A Constitutional Conflict
www.moviesbymatt.com
www.showdownforsheriff.com
 
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BTW, the @ thing doesn't work anymore (at least for me) to notify the user they've been mentioned.

I swear it used to work for like a month but maybe imagining things or some setting got switched in the background during a site refresh.
 
‘Showdown for Sheriff’ can be streamed here:

https://www.watch.moviesbymatt.com

I did a 5 day tour through Klickitat County with the movie. Totally DIY, booked my own venues, brought my own projector (Sony 665es which did DCI 4K) and sound system (didn’t pull off the Atmos…yet), rolled out the red carpet, popped the popcorn, and built the frames for both the projection screen and the step and repeat. I put flyers all over the county and handed out over 14,000 business cards this year (starting at Trump’s inauguration in DC).

It made the front page of the Columbia Gorge News, which reviewed the movie, and can be read here:

https://www.columbiagorgenews.com/n...cle_3d880836-6ca5-4c05-bd5c-a263e21de3de.html

The release of the movie has been as fascinating as making it. So many who preach “support your local artist” or “inclusivity” took a strong stand against the movie (ironically excluding it). Local Grange Halls wouldn’t rent to me. Community Facebook groups wouldn’t post my events. Some stated that the movie included “hate speech”.

Regarding the “hate speech” comment, it was the one quote I asked a few people whether I should include or not. Everyone but one person told me no. Ultimately I included it because I’m making an ethnographic documentary about division and I felt the quote represented what a lot of people in America are feeling, so I was faced with what type of documentary filmmaker am I? Am I here to sanitize everything to make viewers comfortable? Or is it my job to film people as authentically as I can, in hope that the viewers today, and in future generations, value authenticity? I value authenticity. It’s in.

The plan is to show the push back my movie has received and ask the American people if they are going to let the “woke” gatekeepers of Hollywood (and my local venues) dictate the type of content they consume, or do we want films and filmmakers who have the guts to include people and opinions that don’t adhere to the latest flavor of political correctness. Time will tell. That’s where I’m at, m-

Matthew Marzano
Movies by Matt LLC
Now Showing: Showdown for Sheriff: A Constitutional Conflict
www.moviesbymatt.com
www.showdownforsheriff.com
 
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One thing I greatly learned on this forum is how I am so not cut out in any way, shape or form to ever be a filmmaker.

Keep at it! 🎞️
 
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