FRAME by FRAME: March 2005

Lack of Sleep Leads To Mindless Rambling

Tuesday, March 29, 2005 | 1 Comments

So, I'm up at my usual un-Godly hour in the morning due to the fact I don't sleep well if hardly at all and I was browsing the web to hit my daily movie news site. Shameless plug; JoBlo.com (not that they give a shit that I even post this info). And on said site I see a news bit about Kevin Smith posting a daily diary of his ever move. Nice move considering so many people actually do care about his day to day minutiae. Now I in no way think anyone remotely cares what I do on a daily basis compared to Kevin Smith or anyone for that matter but what the hell, it kills time before the wife and kids wake up and some people might think it's at the very least amusing, possibly informative and at the very worst sad and pathetic.

Off to the day job. Yeah, hard to believe I don't get paid to make movies, I know, but something got to pay the bills. It's not that bad, I still get to be somewhat creative and I get to do some directing. Not in the movie sense but in the art design of a national publication. Keeps the gears of the "art department" of Twenty One running right along too. It never really was in the "big picture" to work in the horse industry at all while residing in good 'ol Kentucky but things could have worked out worse. I do have an understanding boss who thinks that making movies is a pretty cool thing and I get quite a bit of leeway in that area to do so without much grief from upper management. So, I do get to yap with David about movie stuff during work hours which all in all keeps my movie job as part of my life 24/7.

Last night I caught a little known movie called, Jesus' Son, starring Billy Crudup as a drug addict who finds redemption. When you get a chance I recommend you add it to your Nexflix queue. It came out in 2000 and I just stumbled upon it. It's got some great cameos from Jack Black, Denis Leary and Dennis Hopper which are worth the rental alone. It's a movie that moves at a slow pace but has some great shots, good dialogue and some fine acting. One scene which stuck out was one where Crudup's character, known only as Fuckhead (I kid you not), breaks down after the death of some baby rabbits. That was just some fucking good acting. It was directed by Alison MacLean and this is the first thing I have seen from her and I thought it was done very well.

Friday is the release date for one of the movies I have been looking forward to the most from the time I first heard it was being made. Sin City. I have been a big fan of the comic since it first came out and have expectations that I pray will be surpassed but that might be asking too much. My review to come.

NEXT TIME: SIN CITY & IN DEFENSE OF ALL THINGS STAR WARS

posted by Twenty One Productions @ 7:58 PM

Hooray for Hollywood - Redux

Saturday, March 05, 2005 | 0 Comments

There is something about L.A., I'm sure I will get a million responses to such a general statement, but what got me thinking was a question posed by a fellow traveller while out in California as I took them on a tour in the city on angels, Hollywood, specifically. The question was, "What will I see there?" I had never been asked that before because to me it was obvious, but then I realized I am not your average tourist, and the person asking has no real interest in the T.V. and movie industry.

Honestly, I didn't have an answer for them. At first I thought, the Hollywood sign, Mann's Chinese Theatre, the Kodak, The Whiskey, The Roxy and so on. But for this "tourist" they stared blankly at me with a look that replied, "and? Big fucking deal!"

It just dawned at me at that moment. It was a vibe. Simple and cliche as that. For me just being a block or two away from movie studios, pre-production facilities, agents, actors, film makers, etc. was it! You can feel it, it's inspiring, you're a part of it and Hollywood puts the extras glitz on it just for shits and giggles!

David, Justin and I were recently interviewed for a local paper and one of the thoughts we ran across was the whole "indie" film culture vs Hollywood. For me that's as lame a debate as can be made in the generic David vs Goliath, rage against the establishment mentality of "some" up and coming artists. Be it film maker, musician or what have you.

The truth is that if it were not for Hollywood there's not one of us "indie" film makers that would be doing what were are in our respective Anytown, USA. Don't misunderstand me though, I think it's great that there are so many talented "local" film makers out there, not just in my hometown but all across America. And with the advent of digital film making it's brought us closer to our dreams. But it hasn't brought Hollywood closer to us nor is it threatening to run it out of business.

Hollywood got it right, it is the standard for which all future films are judged. We might not like much of what always gets spit out by of the Hollywood movie making machine. Much of it is shit, but it's still makes money and in the end as film makers we have to learn how to make and tell the stories we want and still make a living at it. That's why it's so fucking hard but then again when all those things mesh that's why it's great!

We here at Twenty One are "indie" to the nth degree, but we want our movies to be seen. As Walt Disney once said, "I don't make pictures just to make money. I make money to make more pictures." And as I say, " If no one ever see's you 'art' then it's as if it never exsisited to begin with." Fellow film makers that's my take on Hollywood, I like it, shit, I love it!

Remember you can always buck the system and tell it to go fuck's itself but always keep your fingers crossed behind your back.

posted by Twenty One Productions @ 8:09 AM

Where The Hell Is This MOVIE!

Friday, March 04, 2005 | 8 Comments

12 STEPS NOWHERE

So, the movie has been delayed for over a year now. I know, it sucks. Believe me no one is more anxious to get this thing done than myself, David and Justin. Fortunately the process of the final edit is now firmly back in our hands or more specifically David's hands. The last third of the movie is almost complete in it's rough cut form and the first two thirds is on paper. It had been cut. The transfer from Final Cut Pro to Avid Xpress has been less than ideal, actually a giant pain in the ass, to be more precise. So we come to this point. The EDL's (edit decision lists) are printed out (that's the paper part) and now we have to punch in the time codes, capture the footage and put the sequence puzzle back together. Not as daunting a task as it might seem as you read this but it is a task none the less.

Now since the technical issues are out of the way you may be asking (or at least the non-techies out there) so what the fuck does this long delayed, better be worth the wait, movie friggin' look like? One word. Fucking awesome! Okay two words but for those easily offended just ignore the first one. So far all the scenes that I was most worried about, in the sense of wether or not they would actually work, do! You have to understand I have seen the whole movie, be it in chucks, bits and pieces and over a time frame of a one year plus, but I seen it. There were two major sequences that I was most concerned about. One where "Jimmy," the soft spoken old man gives "Christian" a bit of advise, and the ending. I can say with total confidence that they both look great and work great and better than I had even envisioned when I wrote the script. After all the road blocks on 12 STEPS I now feel, and I really mean this, that we are finally on track to finish it. The fact the footage is now in a editing suite we have access to anytime we need it is about the biggest accomplishment we have made so far in the post-production process.

So, I feel like that I am far beyond the point of continually apologizing for the movie's delay. I guess that says more about me than the people I believe are clamoring for this latest piece for Twenty One to be complete. I do try to be humble though. I don't put above the title, of this or any other movie I have done, "a Russell Johnson film" not that I mind or care that other directors do that but I know no one really knows or honestly cares who the fuck I am to begin with so it's not going to matter who the movie is by more so than it just being a good movie. I and believe this is a good movie, our best movie to date, to be exact. We are doing things in this movie we haven't done before and that goes for everything from the script, to shooting, to editing and music. With all the production values we've upgraded to, I know this story holds it's own as well. That why I believe (in my own mind anyway) why everyone is waiting (and patiently I might add) for this movie to come out and the reason I always felt a need to try and keep the public interested. Really the movie means nothing if people don't like it and our best publicity is word of mouth. I will try and keep everyone updated on our progress on this and other projects in the works.

Send some comments to me or any of us at Twenty One about want you want to know and what will peak your interest (insert porn joke here!).

posted by Twenty One Productions @ 11:36 AM

		FRAME by FRAME News and commentary from Russell Johnson and Twenty One Productions.
		Lack of Sleep Leads To Mindless Rambling Tuesday, March 29, 2005 \| 1 Comments So, I'm up at my usual un-Godly hour in the morning due to the fact I don't sleep well if hardly at all and I was browsing the web to hit my daily movie news site. Shameless plug; JoBlo.com (not that they give a shit that I even post this info). And on said site I see a news bit about Kevin Smith posting a daily diary of his ever move. Nice move considering so many people actually do care about his day to day minutiae. Now I in no way think anyone remotely cares what I do on a daily basis compared to Kevin Smith or anyone for that matter but what the hell, it kills time before the wife and kids wake up and some people might think it's at the very least amusing, possibly informative and at the very worst sad and pathetic. Off to the day job. Yeah, hard to believe I don't get paid to make movies, I know, but something got to pay the bills. It's not that bad, I still get to be somewhat creative and I get to do some directing. Not in the movie sense but in the art design of a national publication. Keeps the gears of the "art department" of Twenty One running right along too. It never really was in the "big picture" to work in the horse industry at all while residing in good 'ol Kentucky but things could have worked out worse. I do have an understanding boss who thinks that making movies is a pretty cool thing and I get quite a bit of leeway in that area to do so without much grief from upper management. So, I do get to yap with David about movie stuff during work hours which all in all keeps my movie job as part of my life 24/7. Last night I caught a little known movie called, Jesus' Son, starring Billy Crudup as a drug addict who finds redemption. When you get a chance I recommend you add it to your Nexflix queue. It came out in 2000 and I just stumbled upon it. It's got some great cameos from Jack Black, Denis Leary and Dennis Hopper which are worth the rental alone. It's a movie that moves at a slow pace but has some great shots, good dialogue and some fine acting. One scene which stuck out was one where Crudup's character, known only as Fuckhead (I kid you not), breaks down after the death of some baby rabbits. That was just some fucking good acting. It was directed by Alison MacLean and this is the first thing I have seen from her and I thought it was done very well. Friday is the release date for one of the movies I have been looking forward to the most from the time I first heard it was being made. Sin City. I have been a big fan of the comic since it first came out and have expectations that I pray will be surpassed but that might be asking too much. My review to come. NEXT TIME: SIN CITY & IN DEFENSE OF ALL THINGS STAR WARS posted by Twenty One Productions @ 7:58 PM Hooray for Hollywood - Redux Saturday, March 05, 2005 \| 0 Comments There is something about L.A., I'm sure I will get a million responses to such a general statement, but what got me thinking was a question posed by a fellow traveller while out in California as I took them on a tour in the city on angels, Hollywood, specifically. The question was, "What will I see there?" I had never been asked that before because to me it was obvious, but then I realized I am not your average tourist, and the person asking has no real interest in the T.V. and movie industry. Honestly, I didn't have an answer for them. At first I thought, the Hollywood sign, Mann's Chinese Theatre, the Kodak, The Whiskey, The Roxy and so on. But for this "tourist" they stared blankly at me with a look that replied, "and? Big fucking deal!" It just dawned at me at that moment. It was a vibe. Simple and cliche as that. For me just being a block or two away from movie studios, pre-production facilities, agents, actors, film makers, etc. was it! You can feel it, it's inspiring, you're a part of it and Hollywood puts the extras glitz on it just for shits and giggles! David, Justin and I were recently interviewed for a local paper and one of the thoughts we ran across was the whole "indie" film culture vs Hollywood. For me that's as lame a debate as can be made in the generic David vs Goliath, rage against the establishment mentality of "some" up and coming artists. Be it film maker, musician or what have you. The truth is that if it were not for Hollywood there's not one of us "indie" film makers that would be doing what were are in our respective Anytown, USA. Don't misunderstand me though, I think it's great that there are so many talented "local" film makers out there, not just in my hometown but all across America. And with the advent of digital film making it's brought us closer to our dreams. But it hasn't brought Hollywood closer to us nor is it threatening to run it out of business. Hollywood got it right, it is the standard for which all future films are judged. We might not like much of what always gets spit out by of the Hollywood movie making machine. Much of it is shit, but it's still makes money and in the end as film makers we have to learn how to make and tell the stories we want and still make a living at it. That's why it's so fucking hard but then again when all those things mesh that's why it's great! We here at Twenty One are "indie" to the nth degree, but we want our movies to be seen. As Walt Disney once said, "I don't make pictures just to make money. I make money to make more pictures." And as I say, " If no one ever see's you 'art' then it's as if it never exsisited to begin with." Fellow film makers that's my take on Hollywood, I like it, shit, I love it! Remember you can always buck the system and tell it to go fuck's itself but always keep your fingers crossed behind your back. posted by Twenty One Productions @ 8:09 AM Where The Hell Is This MOVIE! Friday, March 04, 2005 \| 8 Comments 12 STEPS NOWHERE So, the movie has been delayed for over a year now. I know, it sucks. Believe me no one is more anxious to get this thing done than myself, David and Justin. Fortunately the process of the final edit is now firmly back in our hands or more specifically David's hands. The last third of the movie is almost complete in it's rough cut form and the first two thirds is on paper. It had been cut. The transfer from Final Cut Pro to Avid Xpress has been less than ideal, actually a giant pain in the ass, to be more precise. So we come to this point. The EDL's (edit decision lists) are printed out (that's the paper part) and now we have to punch in the time codes, capture the footage and put the sequence puzzle back together. Not as daunting a task as it might seem as you read this but it is a task none the less. Now since the technical issues are out of the way you may be asking (or at least the non-techies out there) so what the fuck does this long delayed, better be worth the wait, movie friggin' look like? One word. Fucking awesome! Okay two words but for those easily offended just ignore the first one. So far all the scenes that I was most worried about, in the sense of wether or not they would actually work, do! You have to understand I have seen the whole movie, be it in chucks, bits and pieces and over a time frame of a one year plus, but I seen it. There were two major sequences that I was most concerned about. One where "Jimmy," the soft spoken old man gives "Christian" a bit of advise, and the ending. I can say with total confidence that they both look great and work great and better than I had even envisioned when I wrote the script. After all the road blocks on 12 STEPS I now feel, and I really mean this, that we are finally on track to finish it. The fact the footage is now in a editing suite we have access to anytime we need it is about the biggest accomplishment we have made so far in the post-production process. So, I feel like that I am far beyond the point of continually apologizing for the movie's delay. I guess that says more about me than the people I believe are clamoring for this latest piece for Twenty One to be complete. I do try to be humble though. I don't put above the title, of this or any other movie I have done, "a Russell Johnson film" not that I mind or care that other directors do that but I know no one really knows or honestly cares who the fuck I am to begin with so it's not going to matter who the movie is by more so than it just being a good movie. I and believe this is a good movie, our best movie to date, to be exact. We are doing things in this movie we haven't done before and that goes for everything from the script, to shooting, to editing and music. With all the production values we've upgraded to, I know this story holds it's own as well. That why I believe (in my own mind anyway) why everyone is waiting (and patiently I might add) for this movie to come out and the reason I always felt a need to try and keep the public interested. Really the movie means nothing if people don't like it and our best publicity is word of mouth. I will try and keep everyone updated on our progress on this and other projects in the works. Send some comments to me or any of us at Twenty One about want you want to know and what will peak your interest (insert porn joke here!). posted by Twenty One Productions @ 11:36 AM	About Me Name: Twenty One Productions Location: United States View my complete profile Links Twenty One Productions Twenty One Podcast Russell's MySpace Russell's YouTube Twenty One's MySpace Producer David Cottingham's Blog Writer/actor Mat Raney's Blog Justin R. Durban's site RSS Subscribe to Posts [Atom] Previous Posts New project in the works 1st SCENE IN THE CAN! TEST SHOOT IS LIKE RED BULL! Lucky or Just a F***ing Idiot! Losing a Loved ONE Scars & Souvenirs MOVING FORWARD HELP US WIN! VOTE FOR US! Happy Easter! Archives March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 January 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 Current Posts © 2007 TWENTY ONE PRODUCTIONS, All Rights Reserved STAR WARS and all associated characters, logos and other elements are the property of LucasFilm Ltd. This production is a "Fan Film", and as such no profit can be made from the presentation or distribution of this film. This film is not for sale. STAR WARS is a Registered Trademark of LucasFilm Ltd.

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