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Actually, I just co-wrote it. And carried some equipment. 
So, I think I mentioned briefly last week that I was invited to participate in the 48-Hour Film Project, which is an international film competition split up into cities over an extensive schedule. Teams create 4-10 minute films based on guidelines handed down at the start of the cycle, and compete for prizes and a chance to win bids against top entries from other cities. There are 47 entries in Louisville, Kentucky's contest this year.
The director, an acquaintance of mine from college, invited myself and a few other college writer buddies to help co-write the film based on these requirements to incorporate:
STORY
His sister jokingly suggested writing a film about a lesbian who refuses to cut her lawn, as a metaphor for not wanting to bend to society by shaving her body hair. Crude, I know... but after an hour or so of talking about it, the story actually developed quite well. There's a substantial peek into the lives of two female partners who, for all intents and purposes, are dealing with the rigors of relationshipping as much as social dictations.
The film - affectionately titled "Trim" - begins with Kate, the chief character, yanking furiously and fruitlessly on her lawnmower chain. She gives up and goes inside, wherein she argues with Jo(sephine), her live-in girlfriend, about the ridiculous expectation in America to mow one's lawn. For the most part, Jo plays Devil's advocate in the film, much to the dismay of Kate. Even a persnickety neighbor and an unsuspecting gardener can't shake Kate from her convictions.
Ultimately, the film is about the nature of decision-making and personal identity. She feels restricted to not shaving because America wants her to, and she feels the impending guilt of selling out if she does. In the end, her lawn gets mowed without her permission, breaking her down while at the same time alleviating her from the pressure of bending to external forces. It's the significance of choosing to do something on one's own terms. In a final scene, Kate and Jo share a subtle but moving moment on the couch, and with Jo's silky-smooth legs under her fingers, Kate decides to shave. Because in the end, she wants to be desired the way she desires Jo, and will do what it takes to get there. Not just to ensure her stability with Jo, but to feel like a beautiful and desired woman; and to feel that she shares with Jo something more real and substantial than she ultimately sees in everyone else.
SHOOTING/EDITING
These guys know what they're doing. They've gone out and purchased a Canon XL2 and Final Cut Pro, and have taken the time to establish their shots and focus on suitable lighting and color balance so that the final product is as technically refined as they can get it. They work quickly and get good results, particularly through efficient planning a great rapport with cast and crew. They've even built makeshift rigs for steady and rolling cam shots that look pretty ghetto, but achieve incredible results. Although they made decisions in cinematography and performance capture that I disagreed with, I can't say enough about their impressive sense of film. They understood as well good editing, which is absolutely crucial, and for these reasons I think the final film will be a success.
I'm just thankful to have been invited to be a part of it, and look forward to future collaboration. I can't tell you what it means for a cinephile writer like myself to be able to contribute to a story, and see it come to life in all aspects of filmmaking in such a short amount of time. Just being on set, and being a cog driving this well-oiled process forward was a sheer delight.
Oh, and although this was a 48-hour contest, I have to boast that 24 hours after we started talking about what the story could be, we were already halfway through editing a rough cut. Now that's moving.
So, I think I mentioned briefly last week that I was invited to participate in the 48-Hour Film Project, which is an international film competition split up into cities over an extensive schedule. Teams create 4-10 minute films based on guidelines handed down at the start of the cycle, and compete for prizes and a chance to win bids against top entries from other cities. There are 47 entries in Louisville, Kentucky's contest this year.
The director, an acquaintance of mine from college, invited myself and a few other college writer buddies to help co-write the film based on these requirements to incorporate:
- Film-de-femme (lead character must be female)
- Bert or Bertha George, a gardener
- A three-ring binder
- The line, "Just tell them Joe sent you."
STORY
His sister jokingly suggested writing a film about a lesbian who refuses to cut her lawn, as a metaphor for not wanting to bend to society by shaving her body hair. Crude, I know... but after an hour or so of talking about it, the story actually developed quite well. There's a substantial peek into the lives of two female partners who, for all intents and purposes, are dealing with the rigors of relationshipping as much as social dictations.
The film - affectionately titled "Trim" - begins with Kate, the chief character, yanking furiously and fruitlessly on her lawnmower chain. She gives up and goes inside, wherein she argues with Jo(sephine), her live-in girlfriend, about the ridiculous expectation in America to mow one's lawn. For the most part, Jo plays Devil's advocate in the film, much to the dismay of Kate. Even a persnickety neighbor and an unsuspecting gardener can't shake Kate from her convictions.
Ultimately, the film is about the nature of decision-making and personal identity. She feels restricted to not shaving because America wants her to, and she feels the impending guilt of selling out if she does. In the end, her lawn gets mowed without her permission, breaking her down while at the same time alleviating her from the pressure of bending to external forces. It's the significance of choosing to do something on one's own terms. In a final scene, Kate and Jo share a subtle but moving moment on the couch, and with Jo's silky-smooth legs under her fingers, Kate decides to shave. Because in the end, she wants to be desired the way she desires Jo, and will do what it takes to get there. Not just to ensure her stability with Jo, but to feel like a beautiful and desired woman; and to feel that she shares with Jo something more real and substantial than she ultimately sees in everyone else.
SHOOTING/EDITING
These guys know what they're doing. They've gone out and purchased a Canon XL2 and Final Cut Pro, and have taken the time to establish their shots and focus on suitable lighting and color balance so that the final product is as technically refined as they can get it. They work quickly and get good results, particularly through efficient planning a great rapport with cast and crew. They've even built makeshift rigs for steady and rolling cam shots that look pretty ghetto, but achieve incredible results. Although they made decisions in cinematography and performance capture that I disagreed with, I can't say enough about their impressive sense of film. They understood as well good editing, which is absolutely crucial, and for these reasons I think the final film will be a success.
I'm just thankful to have been invited to be a part of it, and look forward to future collaboration. I can't tell you what it means for a cinephile writer like myself to be able to contribute to a story, and see it come to life in all aspects of filmmaking in such a short amount of time. Just being on set, and being a cog driving this well-oiled process forward was a sheer delight.
Oh, and although this was a 48-hour contest, I have to boast that 24 hours after we started talking about what the story could be, we were already halfway through editing a rough cut. Now that's moving.