We Are Not Alone / Odd Squad / Katrina

Jack Daniel Stanley

Jack Daniel Stanley

Moderator
Staff member
So Brian Kaz and I were discussing the films we made and their relationship to Katrina, and decided to start this thread.

At least IMHO there's some interesting crossover as WANA, ODD SQUAD, and even SHED (my film from Zombie Fest) are all alegories or at least deal with Katrina in a metaphorical way.

We are even talking about putting a DVD together called something like "Katrina Fictions" or whatever you guys suggest that is better. I think with all three films and BTS it would be about an hour's worth of material and profits after costs would go to Katrina related charity.

But that's kinda secondary to the overly analytical headtrip I'm about to lay on you guys concerning all three films, and then if Brian is still online he'll chime in too.

(you all now where to find We Are Not Alone and ODD Squad but you can find Shed in the past winners for Zombie Fest)

(Mods if this should go in the individual threads section please move it there - but I thought it might be confusing there as it deals with three films).

So here goes *rolls up sleeves*

I just think it's an interesting alternative to the documentary - two artists working their poo poo out as a part of a devastated community in really unusual FICTIONAL ways.

SHED was filmed the week before and the week after Katrina and deals with a family evacuating a unforseen disaater and a family member is left behind.

... then you have ODD SQUAD and WE ARE NOT ALONE, both deal with how the world changed after a cataclysmic event and how society is adapting, coping, or rebelling.

In ODD SQUAD an imperfect bureaucracy deals with the problem in a way that is racially insensitive but the only set of rules they have to follow until they are forced to think outside the box.

In WANA of course the citizens of a destroyed city find a way to carry on and overcome when all hope seems lost.

Let me also say that ODD SQUAD is very funky and silly and not as impactful a film as WANA, so I'm not trying to make it out to be an incredibly important film - these were just some jumping off points for me.

Thoughts on the above analysis / DVD idea are welcome please :)
 
I personally think this is a great idea and props to Jack for coming up with it. We want to let people know what happened that day on August 29th in a new and interesting way. It's one thing to see helicopter footage and hear interviews from people on CNN, but quite another to have the very same people express their experience in a creative way that can live on beyond the 10 o'clock news.

I believe there are a lot of people who still don't realize the full scope of the damage that was done. To this day, there are still huge parts of the city and surrounding areas without power! The destruction in my film doesn't come close to what I arrived home to the day they let us back in the city(and forced us back out the same day).

Anyway, like Jdan said: Thoughts are welcome.
 
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"We want to let people know what happened that day on August 29th in a new and interesting way."

sadly that day is my birthday.
 
It's a great idea that you guys have, and I think a natrual way for creative people to deal with tough issues. I mean we're how many years past the accident and Stephen King is sill writing stories about guys getting hit by vans.

Creativity is bred from life, and what you guys went through will impact your art for many years to come. I bet if you put the word out about this DVD you'll get films coming out of the woodwork (or other forms or artistic contribution) that you never expected.

Of course, I've never been good at prophesy, so the above might be totally wrong. :)
 
spidey said:
"We want to let people know what happened that day on August 29th in a new and interesting way."

sadly that day is my birthday.
Click to expand...
lol, my GF and I have our anniversary on April 28th, which is saddam hussein's birthday (know because it was on the News that day) seems like a bad omen but that will be three years ago this April -- its actually a good thing because I would never remember it otherwise, now I can google it. Although homeland security probably has a pretty interesting file on me googling Saddam's b-day each spring :)
 
Although homeland security probably has a pretty interesting file on me googling Saddam's b-day each spring
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Heh heh.


Hey Jack, how about I talk to a few film people around here to see if they know of any other local movies made recently that deal with the storm?
 
We are not alone is my favorite entry so far! I loved the seamlessness of the effects. I also liked how it was an allegory for the way people's lives were shaken to the core during Katrina.
 
i´d definately want a dvd sent to austria...how about putting longer cuts on it...and with extended BTS material (like the broken dvd,because the before and after screens from kaz were really inspiring)...and while i´m thinking about it, how about an "odd squad" series ?? (i know it would´nt fit to the original katrina idea, but could be an interesting project)
 
Maybe that can be the next fest idea. Everyone create a movie dealing with the same issues and the procedes of the DVD go to the victoms of Katrina.
 
I loved both films. The Odd Squad was amazingly fun, and the graphics in WANA floored me. There was one part where it looked like you got the same VFX team from Firefly to work for you.

It's kinda a drag though, to think that two brilliant pieces of filmmaking comes from such a horrible horrible event. But what doesn't kill you.
 
Two of my closest friends live in New Orleans; one is a contractor who went back very early after Katrina to start, literally, rebuilding, and I know that has been very. very painful for him. So, when I saw Odd Squad, and right afterward, WANA, each film's first lines just got under my skin, and i knew these were two films that were coming from the heart, from a very personal place, from hard experience, and while I would have loved them anyway, it made me love them that much more. I love that you each took your experience and used it to come up with very good stories... I am not really expressing myself too well, here, but bottom line, both of them choked me up, I think the idea of using personal experience and turning it into something else is awesome and brave and real, and I think that's a great idea to collect artisitic expressions of people's reactions to Katrina -- maybe a Web site so you could have different art forms -- writing, art, film/video, music, etc. OK, I gotta dring some more coffee. Congrats again to both Kaz and Jack -- great work.
 
Kaz - So far "We Are Not Alone" has been my favorite. It had a great story, good ligting and sound, perfect effects, and an empowering ending. Well made from beginning to end. The whole time while watching it I was saying, "This guy is good!"

Can't wait to see Odd Squad. Which zip file is it in?
 
I was really impressed the way both of you used the disaster, the ruins, in your films. They both have to be some of the first fiction films made right after Katrina.

I'm definately on the buy list for this dvd and am very happy you are making it.

If all goes well, i will be moving to new orleans in september, to work on my dissertation, which is on the aftermath of Katrina.

It will be very interesting to see this dvd collection and the other art produced that was inspired by this natural and social tragedy.

I applaud you both for pursusing this.

JD, i didn't know you moved to NY. I was going to pm you regarding NO, but found a post where you kinda already answered my questions.

The best in NY.

I really hope you guys get this dvd off the ground. As far the title, i think its a good start, but could use something meatier.

Someone suggested using other art forms. On the dvd, maybe you could have slides of posters, paintings by professional, amateur, adults, and children, maybe poems and spoken word. make it a 2 disc set. okay i'm just rambling, but am very excited about this.

Oh i think there was another member on this forum that was working on something regarding katrina, but can't remember the person's name. it was a teaser/clip. a man stranded in the middle of the of water. it seemed metaphorical, but the message was clear to a large extent.

hopefully that person see's this thread and is able to contribute
 
Great analysis Jack. You hit many many nails on the head.
Kudos for the thread.

"I just think it's an interesting alternative to the documentary - two artists working their poo poo out as a part of a devastated community in really unusual FICTIONAL ways."

That's one of the major reasons I was curious to see your Sci-Fest entry. I would be very curious to see other filmmakers responses to Katrina. I think from a study standpoint, it would be fascinating.

-Robert
 
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