It took me an entire Saturday to replace both gates, from scratch.  It was hot and I made plenty of mistakes, but the day ended up being immensely fun and rewarding.  It felt great to work with my hands and apply myself in a tangible, concrete way.  But in the end, the best part was to see and experience the fruits of my labor.  There was immediate satisfaction and a sense of completion after mounting the gates and shutting them closed.

I wish filmmaking was more like building gates.  I wish the turnaround time of a feature film was in days, even months, rather than years.  It would be amazing to see and experience the results of my filmmaking work on a daily basis, rather than a monthly, even yearly basis.

Don’t get me wrong: I do feel a sense of accomplishment nearly every day, whether working on my script or composing important emails, but nothing compares to sitting back and watching your completed film with an audience, which doesn’t happen too often.

That is why I have adopted a way to make movies without the legal and logistical obstacles associated with investment financing.

First, I find inspiration in resources I have access to.  My ideas and scripts primarily utilize people, places, and things within my reach.  I don’t know anyone in Miami, Florida, so why write a script that takes place there?  But I do have a solid network of family and friends in Indiana, which is why my next film is set on an Indiana farm.  

Even with family and friends helping out, there is no escaping the need for cash when making a film.  But instead of dealing with investors, I my wife and I will be raising money through donations instead.  My next film is fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts organization.  This means that financial and tangible contributions made in support of my film will be eligible for a full tax-deduction.  A donation-based approach is clean and simple, devoid of lengthy and expensive legal contracts and procedures.  Better yet, instead of partnering with investors who primarily seek to profit from my film, I now have a network of donors who genuinely want to support me and my film.

So there you go.  By basing my film on available resources and donations, there is a much greater chance of getting my film made.  I admit that this method heavily limits what a filmmaker can create, i.e., it limits her vision; however, filmmaking is a creative venture, one that depends on imagination, which has no bounds, no matter how limited one’s money and resources!

To help you, I thought I’d share my current goals as a filmmaker:

1. Sharpen my scriptwriting and directing skills.
2. Cultivate my personal voice and vision as a film artist.
3. Broaden my professional network.
4. Improve my professional resume.
5. Share my work with family, friends and beyond.
6. Have fun!
   

The key to whatever I do is to keep things simple, mainly in scope of production.  I need to work on projects that will be completed from start to finish within two to three months.  And, of course, I need to keep costs down.

Here are four possibilities that I’ve thought of:

1. Another round of 7 Films, 7 Weeks, except this time, I would constrain myself a lot more, e.g., each film can only be one shot and no longer than five minutes!
2. Create and produce a web series with 4 – 6 short episodes (this would have to be a collaborative writing venture).
3. Make three thirty-second television commercials.
4. Write and direct one highly developed short film.

So what do you think?  There definitely are pros and cons of each, which is why I’m confused.  Because I don’t get much paid work, it might behoove me to create more commercial material; I don’t know…  But then again, as primarily a narrative filmmaker, and a new one at that, I feel it might be best to continue developing my personal, artistic craft….  Or, perhaps, you may think of another possibility?

I really would love your feedback!

(Let me know what you think after you watch this, whether in support of or critical of the video!  E.g., does Sivers leave anything out?)

Our film is a love story that explores the beauty and enigma of two people being drawn together as they help one another overcome personal fears.  The main setting is a thriving Indiana grain farm where its lone occupant, a gruff widow named Eugenia, is bedridden due to a stroke.  Her estranged children leave her in the hands of Bernadette, a live-in caregiver who is as gifted at baking, as she is caring for the sickly woman.  Bernadette soon discovers another presence on the farm, Shane, Eugenia’s loyal, yet withdrawn farm hand.  As Bernadette and Shane work alongside one another on the farm, they discover that love is a phenomenon beyond their control, one that chooses them as much as they choose one another.

So there you go!  As I mentioned before, I recently completed the first draft of the script and am now rewriting.  I’m excited to share the process of making this film with you, everything from writing, to directing, to editing.  I’ll be posting a lot more frequently with questions, thoughts, and concerns you hopefully with comment on.

Here are a couple of photos visually exemplifying why I wanted to make my next film in Indiana…

An Indiana country road in August. I have a few scenes in my script where characters ride along country roads...

The beautiful Eagles Theatre in Wabash, Indiana, recently restored by the Honeywell Foundation. Not only is there a scene in my film set at the theatre, we also hope to premiere our film there in 2014!

FollowMyFilm.com has definitely been rewarding, especially when I hear back from readers.  I admittedly don’t do a great job inciting conversation with my posts, so comments and feedback are always a treat.  That is why I’m going to make an effort to write more conversational posts from now on.

Rather than primarily make statements via posts, I’m going to think out loud and ask questions more often, especially as I work on my newest film project, which I will post about next week.  Your thoughts and insight will not only be helpful, but exciting to hear as well.

For instance, I’m going to ask for feedback regarding the characters and plot in my script.  Then, when it comes time to previsualize the film for directorial purposes, I’d love to hear your thoughts on cinematic elements such as costuming, color scheme, and camera work.

The more I work on films, the more I realize that I absolutely love the communal aspect of the art form.  So I want FollowMyFilm.com to be a way in which I can connect with other cinephiles and create together!

Ozu had many strengths including a mastery of composition and narrative structure; however, what I appreciate most is his ability to capture mono no aware.  Although a literal translation in English does not exist, mono no aware is a Japanese concept adeptly translated by author Donald Richie.  During his audio commentary on Ozu’s film,  Early Summer (The Criterion Collection, 2004), Richie translates mono no aware as “…putting up with things and celebrating the fact that you are putting up with things.”  It’s when you find a rightness with the way things are, a place of absolution, even satisfaction in seeing things continuing as they must.

Mono no aware is invariably sad because our aspirations often want something different.  On the other hand, if we value how things must be, then it’s a good thing.  Mono no aware becomes a resigned form of sadness with a touch of happiness.

Us Americans like to feel happy after watching a movie, not sad – ever hear, “Nobody likes a sad ending”?  As a result, most American movies have happy endings without mono no aware, without a touch of sadness.  This not only contributes to superficial escapist fair, but, more importantly, it robs audiences from a deeper encounter with life.  Mono no aware is much more complex than mere sadness; there is infinite beauty within it.  Everything comes at a cost and, even if painful, that very cost ought to be celebrated as an integral part of life.

Mono no aware exists all around us.  A child celebrating her 8th birthday is a time of joy, but sadness as well due to her inevitable loss of childhood.  A wedding is a time of celebration, but also of loss to the bride and bridegroom’s parents.  Even seemingly mundane things like sharing a meal with friends or a stunning cloud formation must come to an end.

Mono no aware is a beautiful part of life that needs to be included in American films more often, even those with happy endings.  In my favorite Ozu film, which centers around a daughter’s marriage, the wedding itself is not shown at the end, rather, we are left with her lonely father in his empty house – a most beautiful and satisfying ending, indeed!

Filmmaking is my ultimate passion, which is why I must have my brain routinely sharpened.  Like my knives, my creativity often goes dull with use.  I get tired, lazy, and develop bad habits.  Cliche begins to abound and, worse, I begin to believe I’m a lot better than I really am!  This is dangerous, ineffective and downright frustrating.  

Fortunately, it’s not hard to sharpen the filmmaking mind these days.  Here are some of my favorite ways:

Criterion DVD commentaries: unlike most commentaries where the cast and crew simply think out loud and share inside jokes, Criterion DVD commentaries feature eminent film scholars, critics and thinkers who have almost always thought through what they will discuss.

Insightful Blogs: There seems to be more blogs than humans; nonetheless, there certainly are diamonds in the rough worthy of your email inbox.  My favorites are Robert Genn, Seth Godin, Ted Hope, and fellow filmmaker/cook, Tom Provost.

Revival Movie Screenings: unfortunately not available everywhere, revival screenings of classic films truly inspires.  You get to see films on the big screen, the way they were meant to be seen.  My beloved theatre in LA is the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

Seminars: though filmmaking seminars and panel discussions have become a dime-a-dozen, some remain to be the real deal, full of insight and wisdom.  My two favorites in LA are Thomas Ethan Harris and Mark Stolaroff’s No Budget Film School.

Books: these too are a dime-a-dozen, but a careful Amazon search can lead to gold.  My go-to books have been Transcendental Style in Film by Paul Schrader and Cassavetes on Cassevetes by Ray Carney.

In the comment section, she wrote, “I completely agree that silence is discouraging.  It wasn’t until I read your post that I even realized I was feeling discouraged because those close to me have been silent.”

Why are we so often silent with one another?  Even if we subjectively don’t like something, there often is something objectively valuable we can encourage.

I suspect our increasingly competitive, win/loss way of life has something to do with it.  In other words, like money, encouragement is viewed as a limited good, so the more we give, the less there is to receive.

What does this have to do with filmmaking?  Everything!  Encouragement fuels creativity; it emboldens it.  My Mac dictionary says, “To encourage is to give active help or to raise confidence to the point where one dares to do what is difficult.”  Can anything be more beautiful than that?  Imagine, with a few words you can “raise confidence to the point where one dares to do what is difficult.”  And, no doubt, independent filmmaking is difficult – extremely difficult.

Ironically, I have received the least encouragement from my filmmaking peers.  You would think they would appreciate the challenge and my need for encouragement; however, with the limited good perspective, it’s no wonder they rarely encourage; they want to ensure there is enough for them.  Like a small pepperoni pizza at a large party, they dare not offer me a slice…

But isn’t a need for encouragement a sign of weakness?  Does a bona fide artist, someone “called” to create need encouragement?  Yes, absolutely!  Encouragement is an essential human need, like food and shelter; it is bread for our soul, it warms our spirit.  Sure, we can survive without it, but we cannot thrive without it.

Let’s encourage more.  Let’s not be silent.  Take a moment or two everyday to applaud effort, even if you subjectively don’t like it.  Spot the objective goodness and encourage it.  Imagine: with a few words you can “raise confidence to the point where one dares to do what is difficult.”  How beautiful is that?!

You can find Juli and her recent film project here!

I suspect it’s because “the best” is transformative, and transformation calls for sacrifice, and sacrifice is difficult.

However, making a sacrifice does not necessarily need to be difficult.  If one genuinely prioritizes what is best, then giving up things to achieve it will be a lot easier, if not a joy.

In the end, I’m discovering that our prioritization of values ultimately determines our actions and, conversely, our priorities are evident through our actions.

So when it comes time to sacrifice for the best, it will be a lot less difficult if we truly prioritize what is best.

“The End” is not satisfying because the writing is over, in fact, many would argue that is when the real writing begins: “Writing is re-writing.” Rather, typing “The End” signifies an immense accomplishment. It signifies perseverance. It signifies integrity.

I spent about four months developing my characters, settings and plot, culminating in a highly detailed outline. As a result, I completed my first draft in less than three weeks, typing about 10 pages a day, totally 136 pages.

The only way I did this was to put my nose to the grindstone while writing and never looking back. I did not reread previously written scenes nor did I go back and edit. I just kept on writing, trusting my outline and instinct, which resulted in the most satisfying feeling, “The End”!

The film is a portrait of love between a lone farmhand and a devout caregiver, set on an Indiana farm at the end of summer. As is often the case with my films, there isn’t much story, nor is there much conflict; however, I like to believe there is a lot of life, the life that takes place in-between the action we commonly see in love films.

So “The End” is just the beginning for me and I am immensely excited to share more with you as this film unfolds!!!

Reblogged from On Food And Film:

Wow, what a post on a new blog, OnFoodandFilm! I have to say that it had a very real impact on me...

As a film artist, my primary goal is to create from a genuinely personal place, internally driven, not externally.  Though they play a role in this, I am not speaking primarily of emotion.  Creating from a personal place can mean many things, such as trusting  your instinct despite conventional wisdom.  It can also mean abandoning the desire to entertain for the sake of formalistic exploration and experimentation.

Most importantly, creating from a personal place ultimately means the creator him or herself is the only critic that matters.  Our art is a reflection of ourselves and the more truthfully we create, the more truthful our work becomes, something which only we can ultimately judge.

So I am striving to make Christopher J. Boghosian films, personal films that only I can make.  This has been my revelation over the last couple years and the only way I can do it is by working hard, making more and more films as truthfully as possible.

Please check out this video by David Shiyang Liu, which uses typography to highlight Ira Glass’ words on this subject.  It perfectly captures what I have come to learn and I hope you are inspired by it!

Thanks to my friend, Chuck Norton, for sharing this video with me and inspiring this post!

]]> http://followmyfilm.com/2012/03/01/creative-you-must-watch-this/feed/ 10 Christopher http://followmyfilm.com/2012/02/27/dont-give-up/ http://followmyfilm.com/2012/02/27/dont-give-up/#comments Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:35:09 +0000 Christopher http://followmyfilm.com/?p=4716 ]]> Something great might be right

around the corner!

True, we see a lot more minorities on both the big and small screen; however, they tend to be cast in supporting roles such as wacky neighbors, sage-like laborers, and, more recently, tough authorities.

In the last few years, characters such as presidents, police chiefs, and school principals are repeatedly cast with minority actors.  It’s as though Hollywood is saying, “See, we made the head honcho a minority.  We’re racially diverse!”

Unfortunately, this rarely happens when the head honcho is the main character.  Why?  Because the true head honcho is the main character, whether s/he is an army general or a lowly private.  Of course, there are exceptions to this trend; however, they are often given to a handful of A-list minorities.

Not only is this trend discriminatory, it is also predictable and boring.  And worse, it often seems gratuitous.  Diverse casting of secondary authoritative roles now lacks authenticity; I often feel embarrassed when I see it on-screen.

Some argue that minority actors are, nonetheless, appreciative that they have more opportunities.  That is true and it’s great to see them embrace their demand and make the most of it.  Don’t misunderstand: I am in no way suggesting that the trend be ended.  Rather, I am suggesting that it be balanced out.  Let’s have more black presidents as the main character.  After all, isn’t that a bit more believable these days?

Here’s the solution I propose: as much as possible, ignore restrictions like race, gender, and age when casting.  Unless the project absolutely necessitates that the character be of a certain orientation, ditch it during the casting process and see who captures the personality, energy and essence of the character best.  Again, unless absolutely necessary, don’t include race, gender, age, etc. in the casting breakdown.  See who shows up!  And if it means you have to go back to the script and make some changes accordingly, then so be it.  It’ll be worth knowing you have cast the best actor for the part.

***Addition to post: please check out this short video on Indiewire.com, which perfectly captures the issue I mention in this post – the moment of silence toward the end is priceless (thank you to my friend KJ for initially sharing the video with me!)