Hello one and all. I hope everyone who's watched our offerings- the trailer and the video diary- has enjoyed them. Your feedback is more than welcome. The following blogs were already posted on Sonic Cinema & my personal MySpace page, but seeing as though they pretain to the content on this page, I felt it necessary to post them over here as well for your reading pleasure. Here are the seven written production diaries for "Unwinnable Hand" by me, starting with the most recent. There's more to come, so check back, and let your friends know about us- want to have an audience for this thing when it's done in- hopefully- December.

Thanks for listening,

Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com
www.myspace.com/brianskutle
www.myspace.com/cinemanouveau

"Unwinnable Hand" Production Diary 7: With Time Away Comes Perspective

Written: February 16, 2007
It's been too long (October actually), and there've been many a weeks with no work done at all, but a lot has happened since last I wrote about working on this short film. This won't be the last time, either; things are just getting started for 2007.

This week, post-production on the first half of this "Thriller in Two Movements" began to hit full stride- the first time since December any real work has happened with the film. I've put off editing the film as I wanted to be able to devote as much uninterrupted time as possible to it, originally meaning the recording of at least two compositions before I commit the time to it. With an awful lot of footage shot over the six days we filmed in 2006- read the past blogs through the links below- I thought I was in for quite a road as editor.

As it turns out, though, editing the trailer will be the trickiest part of the process, because "Movement I" came together pretty effortlessly from an editorial standpoint (first cut runtime- with opening credits: 10'38"). I'd already done some preliminary editing on the first day's footage shortly after that day, and it proved to be a smart move, giving me a taste of what I was up against. Using the same basic philosophy figured out that day, everything seemed to just fall into place. It's hard to mask the no-budget type of filmmaking we're doing here with as few resources as we had available "on set," but gotta say, it doesn't suck. It's not "Citizen Kane," either, but honestly, it's not an embarassment. Hell, once everything's in place, it might even be- dare I say?- good (maybe even festival worthy?). If some of the hand-held is shaky, it's because we don't have a steady-cam to work with. If some of the coverage around the table looks as though it was just point-and-shoot, it might be because there wasn't someone back there working the camera as we were in front of it. And if some shot choices seem odd, it's likely because those were the only choices available...or at least the best ones. Even the continuity between shots is, well, pretty consistant (or pretty hidden, as the case may be)- remarkable given the 7-plus months between our first shooting day and our last. My one disappointment- realizing we lacked one shot that will help establish stronger continuity and narrative flow. But with one more day of shooting to be had at Ron's parent's house for scenes in "Movement II," we'll have the chance to get it.

On that note, the first draft of "Movement II" was written in November, and read by the other principles- Ronnie Haynes, David Miles, and Michael Caudle- in December. The response was encouraging, although the resolution still has some rough spots to be smoothed out, although I knew as much when I sent it out to them. Some ideas have already come to me, and rewrites will be taking place in the not-too-distant future (hopefully in time for the Oscars, which is when Ron, Dave, and Mike will get their first look at the rough cut). Once rewrites are done, the script will be going out to some of the friends I've got in mind for the other roles in "Movement II" (six new characters are introduced), with filming hopefully to commence this summer. Location for the majority of filming for "Movement II" is still up in the air, but there are some options available to us.

In the coming weeks, expect a lot to happen on the "Unwinnable Hand" front. Along with a rough cut of the film, I hope to have a trailer available online soon, as well as a Filmmakers MySpace site for Cinema Nouveau Productions, our "production company" we've established in producing "Hand." Unfortunately, the trailer will be the only thing many people will have to watch of the film, as I'm wanting to hold off making the film available until the entire story is told. In addition to the editing, much thought has gone into the music for the film, even if pencil hasn't been laid to paper yet. When it is, I hope to have some excerpts available for your listening pleasure. As for the when the finished film will be ready for the public, I'm aiming for a release no later than December 2007.

The subtitle of this production diary has a couple of different meanings. I wrote the first draft of "Movement I" in September 2005. It's coming on a year since our first day of shooting. To say I didn't expect to spend so long on this film is to put it lightly, but what an experience it has been. I wouldn't trade it for anything. As the shot on "Movement I" moved along, I feel as though I've gotten more comfortable in my idea of what being a director entails, and more confident in what I need to do to get things done quickly (the last three days of shooting seemed to fly by and get more productive). And the extended time period from first day to locking a first cut allowed me to look more judiciously at what I had to work with, and sometimes go against first impulses to get what I wanted out of the material; it's also given me the perspective to find that even I didn't quite realize how clever thematically the story was laid out as I was writing it...if I do say so myself. (I've tried to avoid self-congratulation in this blog, but when you read the script, I'm sorry, themes and ideas do crystalize pretty effortlessly through structure and events within the story...how it took me so long to really realize how much that was true is beyond me.)

But not only has a lot happened with this film, and how I see it, but a lot has happened in my life from the first time I wrote "Movement I." The idea to tell a larger story than just a poker game between three friends came to me early on, as did the idea I wanted to get across in telling such a story. But time was important in getting to the outlook on the material I now have. It became more than just a simple film project for me; it became something more personal, and subsequently, more interesting. One of the things Ron said to me early on when we were talking about the film in its' early stages was how it felt like a heightened version of how we really are, albeit told within an entirely fictional storyline. That wasn't an accident, and it's those personal touches (with many more spread throughout "Movement II") that I think will eventually make this film- in its' finished form- an exciting experience for its' viewers. It's already become a greatly rewarding one for me...I can't wait to share it.

Thank you to everyone who's participated so far; I hope this has been as fun for you as it has for me.

Thanks for listening,

Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com

 

"Unwinnable Hand" Production Diary 6: This is where the fun begins...

Written: October 8, 2006
OK, so it didn't start out like I had hoped my last day of filming on the first movement of this "Thriller in Two Movements," but it ended just as I had hoped, in that it is the last day of filming on the first movement of "Unwinnable Hand." I didn't do the alternate ending Jeffrey B suggested during our first day back in February (it'll make it into the commentary track, though, Jeff), but everything else- and then some- is filmed and ready for editing. I even got some group and solo photos taken on "set," so expect a change to my profile pic in the near future.

So, OK, this morning we had planned on the usual 12pm start time. But, you know, I kind of like to just give the people whose house we're filming at some notice before I just head over there- and others do the same. Well, I was trying to get a hold of Ron to confirm and let him know about what time I'd be over- couldn't get a hold of him (even as late as 11:45am), so I called Dave (who called Mike) and Chris to tell them to hold off until they hear from me. A little bit after 12pm I did get a hold of Ron, who had left his phone in his car and was heading over there as we spoke. We agreed to let the others know and I headed over there myself. The delay meant starting at closer to 1pm.

It wasn't much of an issue. Today was a day more for pickups, reshoots, and- most importantly- some makeup work. This morning- as I was watching Scorsese's "GoodFellas"- one of the movies that inspired me in the first place on this film- I was also looking over the footage from the previous shooting days to make sure of what I needed to get today. (As you can see by the soundtrack listened to, Scorsese's been on my mind today- Ron and I are watching "The Departed" tonight.) There wasn't much, and as we were completed with filming by 3:30pm, it was evident in how quickly everything took (even if some of the prep for shots took longer than the shots themselves). We had two reshoots to finish up (one due to script changes, one due to a new refridgerator mentioned in an earlier blog)- knocked out quickly. We had a section of dialogue in regards to the flashback discussed in "Production Diary 3" between Ron and I that took a handful of takes, but not much effort, to complete. I also had a couple of inserts I plan on using in "Movement II" of the film that I wanted to get out of the way, and were completed easily. Next came the makeup work, which is probably more gruesome than you'd expect given the event that transpires, but the effect should surpass any lingering questions in terms of authenticity one has (we got some really fun-to-watch behind the scenes when Chris- who has more experience with it (thanks to "The Case") than I do- applied it, which will be entertaining to watch in the mini-doc I'll be putting together about the film). Also on the initial schedule I wanted to get some sides (to be intercut with the coverage we got on the last shooting day) with Mike, Dave, and I for our conversation that closes the first part of the film, but looking back at what we shot of that earlier, it all works well as is, in not just performance but rhythm and look, so I opted to not revisit the scene for the sake of "choices" like we had others in the film.

So, for now, filming is done. Now comes the fun of editing, sound processing, writing the music, and general post-production. Setting up a MySpace Filmmakers account for Cinema Nouveau productions and cutting a trailer is also in the cards for the next few months. Also in the works will be completing the script for "Movement II," with some massaging of the material by myself, Ron, and Dave (uncredited script doctors- their input has been most helpful), and then, of course, beginning the process again for "Movement II." The amazing length and time gone into this project will not be unmerited, however; you're in for an entertaining piece of work in the end.

Once again, thank you to Ron's parents for allowing us into their home to shoot these past few months (there's at least one more day ahead, though I don't suspect it'll take long), and thank you, as always, to Ron, Dave, Mike, and Chris for their invaluable assistance in this project- you guys have made this a fun learning experience.

Thanks for listening,

Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com

 

"Unwinnable Hand" Production Diary 5: Two Red, One Blue, Three White.

Written: August, 27, 2006
There were a lot of titles that could have gone with this blog, but whatever the title, the subject would be the same. This thing is coming together. Granted, the time frame from the first shot- back in February- to the last shot- look for it in either September or October- is unenviable from a continuity standpoint (Did I mention the place we're shooting this just got a new, very different-looking refridgerator this week? Gotta get some more retakes I guess.), but I knew going in this wasn't gonna be perfect. You just hope for the best and do what you can.

And what did we do this week? We set ourselves up for a single, final day on "Movement I" of this thriller, and I couldn't be happier with our progress. We not only got up to the point I wanted to get to today- not far before the end- but we also went beyond, shooting some footage (what we could, at least) with our friend Mike, who- other than Day 3 when we shot the flashback- has just had to sit back and watch myself, Ron, and Dave go rehersal after rehersal, take after take of flubbed lines, less-than-great execution of the actions we're supposed to be doing during the sometimes marble-mouth-inducing dialogue (which is where the subtitle for this entry came from). It has allowed him to get some interesting behind-the-scenes footage (via his own camera) that I'm gonna put together for a little documentary on making this film for people to see on the eventual DVD; we watched what he got last week before we started to shoot today, and it was pretty entertaining stuff.

This has been a fun learning experience for everyone involved, and I- for one- can't wait to show people. I'm really looking forward to hitting the editing/post production portion of production, sifting through the hours (literally) of footage we have to put together this film, which has been a very personal expression/experiment for me. The sifting will be time consuming, but hey, that's the process.

Like the second day of shooting, Chris (whose help with this film has been invaluable thus far, and beyond just providing the camera equipment, some of the props, and the editing software I'm working on) had to leave early to visit with family, but with an extra set of hands we were able to smoothly (kind of) get a lot more done today to where on the final day of shooting this movement, we have some makeup shots to get, some individual sides to shoot for the last conversation in this part of the story, some brief pickups, and a brief rewrite scene that goes with the flashback from Day Three that we have yet to do.

The question came up today from Mike regarding what was going to happen with this film when it's done. Well, it'll be on not just on Sonic Cinema but MySpace (via a forthcoming Cinema Nouveau Films page) for sure. I've also thought about submitting it to sites like iFilm and Atom Films to see if we can get some feedback from there. And if it isn't too embarrasing, possibly a submission to the Atlanta Film Festival isn't out of the question. But that's not in the cards just yet. First comes a trailer, and then a finished product. For their help in that- for not just today, but in shooting days past and future- Ron (and his parents, whose house we've been shooting at), Dave, Mike, and Chris (and Jeff B., who I didn't recruit this time but may for the last day) have my thanks...and a guaranteed spot in the end credits.

Thanks for listening,

Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com

 

"Unwinnable Hand" Production Diary 4: We're working in a new style. It's called...

Written: August 20, 2006
...Cinema Nouveau.

OK, this may not be the best way to shoot a film- days spread out over months- but I think we've made considerable progress over the four days of shooting we've had on this film since we began back in late February. We have one- maybe two- more days of shooting before "Movement I" of this "Thriller in Two Movements" is completed. We didn't get quite as much as I wanted done today, but we did get about half of it completed. What we did get done, though, was pretty good, however, and that's the biggest thing to realize. Without a budget, without a set timeline to get things done, what you do get is the freedom to work through the material at your own pace (while slow to some) and get the best results in the process. There will be continuity questions that arise, there will be revelations that manifest (That flashback mentioned in my "Day 3" blog? I wouldn't expect it in the final film. It will be edited together for a bonus scene, though, 'cause it is pretty funny.), and there will be wonders of "when is this gonna get done?" by some of those nearest you. But in the end, what you'll get is a finished product that may not be great art, but will hopefully be good fun for everyone to watch, reflecting the fun had in making it.

And this has been really fun to make, applying some of the knowledge learned from over 2000 films seen in a lifetime and hours of behind-the-scenes material sifted through on DVDs into a film that will reflect (with luck) the passion of its' creator(s) for the medium. I could go into specifics of what exactly we worked on today, but it would be retreading previously-written-about territory. The method of rehearsing slices of scenes before we roll the camera worked even better- and more efficiently- than it did back in the second day in April. Having Chris back behind the camera, setting up shots, and being experienced enough via his own short films to tell you what worked and what didn't was a definite benefit in speeding up the process (after a late start) this time around...I think we'll keep him. Sometimes uncontrollable laughter at mistakes made, and thoughts of real-life ideas playing out onscreen made things a bit silly and take longer than expected, but I can honestly say that today was a very good day for everyone involved on this shoot to have, capped off by a dinner at Wendy's (yes, I know how to treat my actors...when they have to pay for it), Dave installing the new computer he built me for my birthday (it's very video and audio-friendly), and Ron, Dave and I taking in "Snakes on a Plane" (it's great fun if you aren't a film snob; folks, the title tells you what you're gonna get...in spades).

In other "Unwinnable Hand" news, I think we finally have enough to create a teaser/trailer for the film. As the writer-director, the thought of trying to boil this film down into a 30 second-1 minute teaser frightens me given the dialogue-heavy nature of the story, but I would expect an attempt in the near future (with music, which it's getting about time to think about). Also, it's as official as it's ever gonna be- the name of our "production company" that is making this film is going to be Cinema Nouveau Films (expect a Filmmaker page on MySpace once we have something to share). It- and the subtitle of this blog- is inspired by a line in "Bowfinger," one of my personal favorite movies ever about making movies (and particularly inspiring for someone without much in the way of means to make a film), and a couple of weeks ago I came up with a logo for the company to go at the head of the film. In addition to the company name, it will also read the following, "Filmmakers inspired by the past...films created for the future." A bit pretentious I know, but indicative of my goal to never forget the legacy of cinema past as I use modern means to create movies that will be- hopefully- enjoyed by fans of the art form in the future. This is one of my goals as a filmmaker, and one that I think we're meeting with each passing day on this film. Thank you very much to Ron, Dave, Mike, and Chris for their work today and on shooting days past (to Jeff B., I hope you'll be able to make it in the future, and that we'll find something for you to do). Thank you to Ron's parents for allowing us to film in your home; I know it's an inconvenience, and your patience is most appreciated. To all of you- this will be worth it in the end.

Thanks for listening,

Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com

 

"Unwinnable Hand" Production Diary 3: Drama is easy, comedy is hard.

Written: June 25, 2006
I had another title for his entry, but I'll save that one for another day.

After almost three months since our last filming date (and two cancelled dates in May), we staked this one out for our third day of filming. Well, a funny thing kind of happened. Originally we had hoped to film at the primary location of the first part of the film (it's split into two "movements"), but life, once again, intervened, and that plan was put aside. But it did offer an opportunity. One of the main actors- Mike- was unable to make it to original shooting location because of responsibilities in his own life situation, but after 3pm today, he was free to get together. And so myself, Dave, and Ron (the other principles in the film) made our way gradually up to Mike's place for an afternoon/evening of hanging out and- hopefully- filming some stuff, namely the flashback in the first movement, but hopefully maybe even a scene between Mike and I that starts the second movement. We didn't get to the latter scene- a good thing since it gives us the opportunity to rewrite it and rework it if necessary- but the flashback was filmed. To say it isn't exactly what I was thinking it should be goes without saying. I was thinking, as it was conceived, that it would be a quick, 10-15 second flash for a quick joke. That was before we played it out. The scene is actually- in the grand scheme of the story- pretty pointless, and in all honesty, even to the moment it's explaining in the story, it doesn't really make much sense. But what we ended up with seems pretty inspired, if you ask me. Although the scene was meant to be an exchange that ended with a joke that cracks one character up a little too much, nothing was written for said exchange except a brief description.

We are not skilled comedians/actors. We'll be the first to tell you. Improvisation is not an easy art for us. But once we hit on an area of discussion for the scene (alternate versions will be available at some point), inspiration hit, and an out-of-nowhere joke hit the mark. The question is, how much will get in? The dialogue played out for about four minutes. That will be decided in editing. If you weren't there, you'll have to wait for the finished film to find out.

The visual style of the scene also struck of inspiration...at least it did for me. Flashbacks in movies are, generally speaking, first person accounts of the moment. But do they ever really look that way? Most of the time (if not all of the time), flashbacks are filmed as if a film crew just happened to be there at the time. Why not try a literal first-person account, with the point-of-view visually to match? We originally thought about shooting it in a wide shot, as we normally see in films and TV, but the idea of a first-person POV struck everyone, it seemed, as a way to go. We cheat it a little bit, but it should be a fun twist on convention when it's put together.

Other than that, we didn't really do too much. Played some video games, went on endlessly trying to figure out something to watch (to no avail), and even watched some "behind the scenes" footage we filmed on Mike's camera the first day (it was really quite entertaining). Overall, a nice hour or so of filming. We didn't get a lot done- again- but what we did get done is, I think, pretty cool. Thanks to Mike, Dave, and Ron for their assistance and patience. To Jeff and Chris, we hope to see you next time.

Thanks for listening,

Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com

 

"Unwinnable Hand" Production Diary 2: Is this any way to make a movie?

Written: April 2, 2006
So, uh, about those nine pages I was going to get filmed today...

Seriously, today was supposed to get this thing mostly finished. After getting 2 1/2 pages of a 13 page script done our first day of filming, we reconvened today, over a month later, with my intention to get as far as the script's climax, with only that and a flashback to film on the third day.

Yeah, that didn't happen. Life intervened. First of all, day 2 of filming was originally supposed to be three weeks ago, and everyone was set until I got a call an hour before we were to meet from the actor whose parents' house we're filming in saying his brother had a 101-degree fever and his visiting aunt wasn't feeling too well either. Wouldn't you decide not to film that day as well? It was actually nice because I was to work at the theatre that evening afterwards, so having the afternoon off was good, 'cause I wasn't looking forward to doing both the same day. Sure, I was disappointed we didn't get anything done, but there aren't too many reasons better for cancelling a day of filming. The day before that, though, I set aside today- April 2- for another filming day. Since it would be a real day off work, it would be nice to just go home, post my blog, and relax.

So enough of that, how was today? True to the first statement of this blog, my intention today was to knock out most of the script because once we got one scene at the door filmed, everything else takes place around a table where the poker game was going on. Curse that pesky Daylight Savings Time- stupid rotation around the sun- which resulted in a slight delay in our start time of 30 minutes. No harm no foul. What made it difficult, though, was life intervening, resulting in neither of the sound recordists from day one being able to make it), and our cameraman- who I've worked with on "The Case" series (and supplied some fine ideas to consider and impliment)- having to leave half way through. But we slaved on (I'll have another filming date set soon) and got 3 1/2 pages done. It may not seem like much, but it's actually not bad given that none of us actors are professionals...or working much off-set to memorize our lines (or at least I haven't- yes I said it). Without the performances of your fellow actors to play off, though, is it really that easy to do away from the set anyway? Making it extra-difficult for us non-pros is the writer-director's crazy notion of combining dialogue and action- from the poker game- while maintaining continuity (what was he thinking?).

The dialogue was the tricky part today. Not the recording of it- we managed with the camera audio- but the performing of it. But that's where rehearsal comes into play, and while onset rehearsal slows the process down, once you get to recording it, without a script in front of you, it's surprising how smoothly it can go (don't worry, some gag reel-worthy moments occured, though). I can see why someone wouldn't enjoy filming on the day-to-day, and can't wait to get to the post-production (I've loved putting it together in editing thus far), but if this is what it takes to make the film I want to make, the way I want to make it, I'm game. To say this hasn't gone quite as I expected is an understatement (we were originally going to shoot January 29, but that day ended up as a much-needed rehearsal day), but speaking from a strictly biased perspective (hey, I AM that crazy writer-director fella), I can't wait to see how it turns out...and to show people what I've got planned. This is gonna be fun.

Thank you to Ron, Dave, and Chris for your assistance today. To Jeff and Mike, you were missed; I hope to see you on the next day of filming.

Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com

 

"Unwinnable Hand" Production Diary 1: What was I thinking?

Written: February 25, 2006
So, the writer-director is done with his first day of shooting. And what has he learned...this filmmaking thing is hard work.

Well, no shit Sherlock. I could have told you that before today. But though I've worked on low-budget sets before (I helped film- and acted in- "The Case" series I've been scoring), being in charge of one seems to bring some more edge to the proceedings. You're expected to know what you want, and not really dilly dally in how you get it. It doesn't help when you have an actor call you an hour before you're supposed to meet telling you he's got nerves about knowing his lines. That's where a little bit of imagination and patience goes a long way; we only got two and a half pages done, but what we got works (or at least it will until I start editing). The sound is going to be an experience to work on- a lot of noise, and I'm not too keen on using the camera's sound, but it should be interesting. A lot got done. Not as much as I would have liked, but such as the nature of the beast.

For those who don't know, "Unwinnable Hand" (subtitled "A Thriller in Two Movements") is a short film script I wrote back in September- it's since gone through a handful of drafts, each one improving- for myself and three friends to act in and film. It's the story of three friends who are getting together to play cards before they get to an assignment from work. Their aggrevated about their job. They're asked to do too much work in not enough time. They play cards as they complain. Anyone who's read the script- which I'll post online after it's done- will know there's more to it than that. A second "movement"- which I've already begun- will follow exploring these characters and this situation further. Inspired by diverse films like "Office Space" and "GoodFellas," I think I've expanded on this very basic idea in an interesting and intelligent way. It's not Shakespeare, but it'll hopefully make for an entertaining and well-crafted film.

So what did I learn today- don't bite off more than you can chew. Creating quality art takes time, and no matter how long it takes, stay the course, don't get frustrated (you'll get more out of your crew), and roll with the punches. Because in the end, that's what I hope to do with this film- create art, even if it's a little fun. I'm not aiming for "Citizen Kane"- just aiming for an entertaining movie. Thank you to Ron, Dave, Mike, and Jeff for their help today, for their support in the past, and assistance in the future.

Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com

P.S. I've actually videotaped a little video diary with my immediate thoughts about today. Expect it on the DVD...seriously, you'll see it. I might even make the audio available online before that.

P.P.S. I would like to apologize to the actor who called me an hour before shooting. I misrepresented his worries in this blog and apologize. I have corrected this post accordingly.