DDiLeo720
Active member
i dont really know how to start this off correctly and truth be told i am prob pretty late in the game for it... But i figured better late then never!. I just wanted to share my story.....
To start this thread accurately, it is only right that i tell you guys the back story of creating, making, and post of the film's progression.
Let me first say that i am writer at heart. Always have been and prob. always will be. I have been writing movie scripts since i was 12 (for better or worse.) This particular script was close to my heart the entire process of writing it. For some reason or another, this thing connected with me on deep levels. Now , Im not saying that Im the 2nd coming of some great screenwriter and that i am super talented, far from it, but on a personal level this script was significant to me, more so than anything I had ever written before. To me, it is important to follow that feeling. To take the emotion to the next step..
On the day I completely finished "The Fiction" script, i called my agent and emailed her the PDF. Of course, it took her 12 days to call me back. But when she did, it was clear that this script was special. She was seeing $ signs, I was excited that finally, finally my work would be noticed and i can inspire someone.
So agents do what they do..... she shopped, didnt call me back, shopped, didnt call me back and shopped more... finally she called me to her office and presented the offers. They were 5x larger than anything i ever made before. With deals with words like grossing, residuals and back end options...... Now I've never been quoted as "smart", but i knew this was a major crossroads in my life and needed to make the right decision to shape myself for my future and for the betterment of myself.
So let me FF abit for you guys.... After going home from that meeting and doing some serious soul searching..... I decided to turn down all offers, and film the script myself. I felt if this thing is as good as everyone is saying it is, then why do i need to hand it off to someone who will rip it apart (and they will) and film how they believe it should be told. This script has huge heart & a helpful message in it, and I wanted to be the one to accurately portray it.
Now thats all well and good, but as learned quickly. It takes a lot more than "wanting" to make a film, to actually MAKE your film.... Well if any first-time filmmakers are reading this (or if you remember your first film experience), then you must know what i was feeling. I had no clue what direction to go to. I had some money to play around with. But that really means nothing if you have no experience of film budgeting. I mean i had no clue where to start..... I remember driving to B and H one day and bought my dvx100b and thought thats all i needed lol. Crazy. I mean i was lost. I knew i wanted to make this great film and had all the energy to....but i didnt know where to begin..... So what do i do now? How do I take this script to the next level accurately and tastefully??
Thats when this site came into play... This site was my saving grace. And let me just make a side note here, jumping into a new industry can be a scary thing. I didnt know what to expect. I was scared to death that i would get laughed at because no one would believe in me. But what i found was exactly the opposite. Everyone one I encountered (so far) on this process have been truly inspiring to me. So generous. So helpful. I just think its awesome to feel comfortable in a totally new world and be welcomed as i did.. So props to all of you who are like that. That comforted me greatly. And allowed me to work efficiently.
I found mostly my enitre crew on this site. Two of the greatest people in the world. Mike Hechanova (arrik7) and Aram Bauman (beattakashi) for Camera work. Then i hired the amazingly talented Justin Durban for original music and Sound Design... Obviously there is more to making a film than just these crew member, but for the sake of legnth, i would encourage, if any are interested in my locations, actors, props, really anything at all, just to ask in the thread.....
Some of you may all ready be familiar with this film because of the thread Aram started in the DP forums...
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=143112&highlight=fiction+blog
For someone who didnt know anything about filmmaking besides just believing in a story, it has been a long 3 years lol... Currently we are in the color correction process of the film. And shipping it off to sundance next month to kick off the festival year. But dont mistake the point of this thread. I wrote this to inspire new filmmakers. Sometimes you wanna make your movie so bad that you dont, or your scared or unsure about your talents. My advice to all of you guys is just follow your dreams and do it! And if nothing else, you will learn a bunch about yourself... The past 3 years have changed my life forever. I acquired so much self growth & confidence.
The most common ? i get about this movie from friends, family and everyone is "do you think it will be succssesful?" It's a shame that no matter what happens with this film $ wise, people cant see that acting on and living your dream and pushing yourself as far as you can go is automatic success. Nothing else matters but the fact that I completed my dream @ 24 years old. And to me, thats enough.
I hope everyone enjoys this thread... any ?s you guys have please let me know. i would be very happy to answer or just talk about film....
Heres a little info about the film...
SYNOPSIS:
In the midst of creating his newest masterpiece, Werther Oaks, an established author, develops writer's block. His current novel is at a dead end, which is a challenge Werther has never had to face. After trying old methods and tricks, they all fail. He slowly falls into a thick, dark depression.
Werther begins questioning his surroundings and motives of his once loved ones. With the walls starting to close in on him, he starts seeing things. Things he can't quite understand. Werther quickly discovers that his eyes are trying to tell him something. Something more than he can grasp.
Is he losing his mind, or is his mind simply telling the story? Writer's block, it's a writer's worst fear, or hallucination.
CREW:
Daniel DiLeo................ Writer, Producer, Director
Aram Bauman............. Cinematographer
Mike Hechonova.......... Camera Operator, Editor
Justin Durban.............. Original Music, Sound Design
Christopher Smith........ Sound Production
Nicki Nascimento.......... Make up
Storyboard Artist.......... Matthew Digiovanna
Michael Nihan.............. Key Grip
Alex Depeuw............... Key Grip
Mike Leveille................. Key Grip
Justin Paguia------------ Artwork & Design
ACTORS:
Eric Hammer .................... Werther Oaks
Andrus Nichols................... Sarah Oaks
Jeff Savage........................ Professor Williams/Arthur Hotes/Dr. Ellis
Allison Kubick..................... Cora Oaks
John Fabiani....................... Kevin Hotes
Ashlyn Potter.......................Faith
FACEBOOK:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/THE-FICTION/62214501569
OFFICIAL SITE:
http://thefictionfilm.com/
IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1283900/
TRAILER:
POSTER:
STILLS:
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