Cinemanovels

NEW STUFF

2009-11-29T10:30:00.001-08:00

Most everything will be here:

cinemanovel.com MAIN PORTAL SITE

tkmiles.com MORE PERSONAL BLOG STUFF

anightfordyingtigers.com BLOG FOR THE NEW FILM

AdMuse EPISODE 104

2009-02-02T18:04:00.000-08:00

AdMuse EPISODE 104

AdMuse EPISODE 104

Also, this!

CINEMANOVEL

Hey guys!

Please subscribe to our new YouTube channel for some serious independent web series, television, and feature film action!

CINEMANOVEL FILMS YouTube Channel (please subscribe!)

CINEMANOVEL FILMS website
you me love facebook page

WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD film website

Yay!

AdMuse Episode 102

2008-12-19T10:57:00.001-08:00

AdMuse - Episode 102

AdMuse is an original episodic comedy web series by Terry Miles for filmaka. The series stars Kristine Cofsky, Casey Manderson, Michelle Miazga, Ryan Haneman and more.

admuse, terry miles, web series, web, series, webisode, comedy, internet series, podcast, video podcast, viral video, independent film, film, kristine cofsky, risque, office comedy, politically incorrect, scathing, dark comedy, advertising, ads, mockumentary

NEW PODCAST IS AT cinemanovel.com

Please subscribe!

JELLYFISH

2008-11-11T11:06:00.000-08:00

WHAT'S NEW

WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD continues its film festival run.
THE RED ROOSTER is at picture lock stage.
THE NEXT FILM is slowly taking shape.
THE NOVEL is more front burner than back.
SOME KIND OF PAYING JOB may soon be required.

SeeqPod - Playable Search

FNC \'08 - En Direct - Entrevue avec Terry Miles Video

2008-10-17T14:52:00.001-07:00

FNC '08 - En Direct - Entrevue avec Terry Miles Video

Posted using ShareThis

STUFF

2008-09-17T19:57:00.000-07:00

CHECKING IN:

np: Cassanova by The Divine Comedy

The temptation to use this blog as a diary and spill all kinds of controversial opinions on film (people I may meet in the future), music and drama, is tempting. But I will save that stuff for those occasional great conversations with great people and barely acceptable red wine. Instead, let's get a boring old list going:

VIFF screenings 2008 OCT 2 at 9:30pm The Ridge Theatre (love The Ridge).
OCT 7 at 1:30pm Granville 7 (had good times here).

Things I'm doing right now:

-Looking for a distributor for WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD (or some kind of broadcast, etc...)
-Working on finishing money for THE RED ROOSTER (blow it up good).
-Trying to find the money to buy a RED ONE camera (need this thing soon).
-Working on getting CINEMANOVEL (the feature film) off the ground.
-Working on the scriptment for a DAN RICHARDSON film (hilarity shall ensue).
-Getting my liver ready for VIFF
-Reading Neuromancer.
-Deciding whether or not to fly to Montreal for an upcoming film festival.
-Sending packages off to festivals for WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD.
-Wondering how I'm going to make it to JULY before THE RED ROOSTER'S fate is known.
-Wishing I was out in the world making a film.
-Getting off this computer.

TIFF blog

2008-09-14T10:36:00.001-07:00

TIFF blog

WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD - Trailer (vimeo)

2008-09-02T09:26:00.001-07:00

Untitled from flimTV on Vimeo.

A more reasonably sized trailer.

WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD - Trailer

2008-09-01T23:44:00.000-07:00

WHAT IS UP

2008-08-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

DEAD MAC PRO

My computer died in the middle of editing the Red Rooster. It's a Mac Pro, and I have to say, Apple is not the best when it comes to caring about the customer. They make the coolest shit, but they don't really care once it leaves their store.

Hopefully it will be fixed in time to get The Red Rooster rough cut where it needs to be by August 18th.

UPDATED

A while back I posted a 2008 "To do" list: Here's the update:

1. visit my family.
STILL TRYING TO GET HOME FOR A HOLIDAY
2. screen "When Life Was Good" at a film festival.
TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL in Sept. NOUVEAU CINEMA IN MONTREAL in Oct.
3. complete 2 feature films (hopefully at least one with a budget).
FINISHED THE RED ROOSTER (no budget but great times!)
4. find the money for a decent HD camera.
PICKED UP THE HVX200 THANKS TO MY MOM AND SELLING SOME MUSIC EQUIPMENT. Red One next.
5. find inner peace (or at least visit it once or twice).
NOPE
6. rent an office.
STILL LOOKING FOR OFFICE SPACE TO SHARE IN VANCOUVER
7. find more time to read.
NOT AT ALL
8. find more time to walk the dogs and watch movies.
SADLY MUCH LESS TIME
9. launch some webisodic entertainment.
ADMUSE ON FILMAKA.COM
10. shoot the Strawberry Splits pilot.
MAYBE SOON?
11. more trips to Tofino with Kelly and the doggies.
I HOPE SO, MAYBE OCT
12. spend more time hanging out with friends.
A BIT, MOSTLY MAKING MOVIES.

out of touch

2008-08-06T23:20:00.000-07:00

I've been out of touch with pretty much everybody due to everyday being a 16+ hour workday.

No end in sight.

WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD is going to premiere at TIFF in Sept, and we've been invited to another film festival (details coming very soon, and we're really excited).

Still waiting on a few things for WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD, final 35mm film out, etc...

THE RED ROOSTER.

I'm working on a temp version to try and make a certain August deadline, but we'll see...It's rough, but it's THE RED ROOSTER!

Working in reels instead of scenes or the full film is very cool, and new. It makes the chunks big, yet manageable (and it makes 35mm film out a breeze which is our goal).

I think, for temp sound, go big. Not Rolling Stones big, but Lambchop big. Why not? Unless the characters are singing along with the picture on screen, you can always find something that works if you need to replace anything, if you're creative and good at your job.

I need a poster, a press kit, an EPK, a publicist, a producer's rep, and it all needs to be in place and set up by August 8th.

Sure.

Back to work.

what's next

2008-07-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

THE RED ROOSTER

I've finished a "pretty close" picture edit, and roughed out 28 of 46 parts as far as simple production sound/dialogue is concerned.

I'm not sure if I'll use music/score, or just do some foley/walla.

I've also roughed out a trailer.

WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD

Can't wait to find out when the film screens in Toronto, but it looks like the schedule isn't coming for a while yet...do I drive or do I fly...

SO MUCH work to do touching up the film, planning the trip, filling out forms, burning DVDs and CDs. Whew.

WHAT'S NEXT

I'm really excited about another guided improvisational film. I think I'll just pick the actors and work from a detailed outline again. It worked pretty well last time, and Hong Sang-Soo does it everytime...or, maybe somebody wants to pay me to make THE STRAWBERRY SPLITS. That would also be cool.

Heath's Joker was a masterpiece.

WLWG = TIFF

2008-07-15T16:19:00.001-07:00

When Life Was Good is an official selection of the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival.

Thanks guys!

news

2008-07-08T02:06:00.000-07:00

News update coming soon.

I was just looking over the "Brothers" info I've typed up over the last while. The film is now called "The Red Rooster."

We finished our last day of shooting about 20 minutes ago outside Relish in Vancouver (it's 2:07AM right now).

It's been a hell of a ride, and one of the most difficult and rewarding things I've ever attempted.

Whew.

Thanks to everybody for the magic.

We finished a week ago, but tonight was a "pickup" night.

We didn't shoot in Victoria. I did write an entire script (it wasn't an improv film or a "write it the night before" film).

We shot in Duncan, Ucluelet, Tofino, Mill Bay, Brentwood, and Vancouver.

We shot along the same route they shot Five Easy Pieces.

Join us:

Facebook Group for The Red Rooster film.

The Red Rooster group.

SHORT

2008-05-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

Finished day one of our little short. Had a few surprises with actor's schedules, but it worked out pretty good.

Also, learning how difficult it is to work without a crew when you begin adding "things" to increase production value (pretty). Dave was awesome, however, and we got a lot of stuff done.

Need to schedule a day where everybody gets together and talks about the film, the plan, etc...also need to schedule auditions (we need to re-cast a part due to actor schedule conflict) for 2 parts.

Need to meet about production stuff, and I need to book a theatre to screen When Life Was Good in June. Whew. That's only one day of stuff (and I know I'm forgetting stuff like, find money to make the film, etc...)

RIP Sydney Pollack.

ROLLING

2008-05-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

Shooting a short film for my "Directing for Television" class with Bobby Roth.

It's tough to take a detour from "The Red Rooster," but it's a really great chance to practice using some of the new equipment that a good friend has lent to the production. It's also nice to work with Candace, Casey, and Dave.

THE ROOSTER

Things are moving along.
It's time to start working on some behind the scenes footage and photos.
Paul, Edwina, Casey and I have been working with the actors and others to pull together the last few locations and try and dig up a few bucks, sponsors, ANYTHING to lighten the load on my Visa.

If anybody has any ideas regarding potential sponsorships or locations:

LOCATIONS
A fancy "city of glass" style high rise apartment.
A nice house.
A coffee shop.

SPONSORS
Wine.
Food.
Water.
Clothing.
Equipment.

That would be cool!

If you're interested in coming down and being a background performer on Wed. June 11th downtown Vancouver. Let us know!

info@ashleypark.net

Right on.

the name

2008-05-11T15:59:00.001-07:00

Of course, the name of the FILM "When Life Was Good" is still "When Life Was Good". Only the title of this BLOG has changed, to reflect the films to come. They're really all Cinemanovels.

That's what we do.

Cinemanovel #1 is "THE RED ROOSTER"

Let's get started.

LOCATE
-Today we scouted Casey's house and it was good. It looks like it will work very nicely for either of the two "main" houses in the film.

SHOPPING
-My TV directing class with Bobby Roth has been great, but it's a lot of time and work away from The Rooster.
-Need to buy gels, a monitor,

ASSISTANT
-need to track down an assistant to pull focus, pull dolly, pull off some help all over the set. Somebody who wants to learn all there is to know about making a film the right way. It's about 7 days on Vancouver Island and the same in Vancouver. 15 day shoot feels about right.

ALL NEW

2008-05-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, rather than continually change blog locations everytime I make a new film...I'm going to keep everything here.

When Life Was Good is now called CINEMANOVELS. Everything else is the same.

This is my blog about whatever is happening now, not ONLY the film "When Life Was Good."

The blog address is still whenlifewasgood.blogspot.com, because that's kind of cool.

NEWS

WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD
-waiting to screen the film for some festival folks in June
-new cut is the best yet.

YUMI IN LOVE
-working on a re-edit.

THE RED ROOSTER
-the film formerly known as Brothers is in pre-production.
-if anybody is interested in helping out physically, emotionally, and/or financially, please get in touch. We could use the help.

We're shooting for all of June.

RED ROOSTER DETAILS
-I started with a 12 page "scriptment" and I thought that would be enough.
-That turned into a 30 page "scriptment" which was definitely enough...
-Then I began to worry about the length and lack of certain details which led to...
-We just had a VERY informal table read of my 57 page SCRIPT. Yes, a proper script.
-I'm getting that 65-70 page feeling, which still leaves room for the camera to breathe and settle in around 85-90 minutes of feature film time. Ideally, I "feel" the film at 85 minutes.

The News and the Noose

2008-04-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

There's a new site up at "filmaka.com" where they'll be posting AdMuse at some point.

I was one of the four folks chosen for the GM contest at filmaka, which is cool.

I've finished synopses for 10 more episodes of AdMuse with the hopes filmaka wants to do more. Fingers crossed.

TELE-VISION
I've been writing CRAZY amounts of television/web series comedy, and getting really into the form.

AN AGENT
I think it's time to get an agent or a manager, and I'm about to start the hunt.

THE NEW FILM
The big news is that we're shooting the new feature mid-may through june. There's just one big role left to cast, a few smaller roles, and then we're set.

LOCATIONS
If anybody reading this has a nice HOME or a MEDIUM SPACE (art gallery or party-sized establishment), please email and let us know! It's only for one day.

AUDITIONS this week.
WRITING the treatment for Telefilm.
WRITING bibles for 3 TV/Web shows.
WRITING my thesis (feature film)

I need a new computer and I'm trying to decide between a desktop and a laptop. Macs obviously, but which way to go?

news

2008-04-02T11:25:00.001-07:00

AdMuse (web series)

The five Season One episodes for AdMuse are finished, uploaded, and awaiting final approval from filmaka.com.

Brothers (feature film)

We're not quite fully cast, but close...pre-production is in full swing. We NEED locations, a couple cast members, and a bit of luck.

Strawberry Splits (pilot)

We're hoping to begin serious pre-production in May for a late June shoot. We're still figuring out one cast member, but we're close...

School is out! Whew. One more week of serious paper marking, and then things are going to pick up in the production world. Let's make some movies.

HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE MORE EXCITING NEWS TO COME VERY SOON!

please drop in for a visit!

repeated viewing

2008-02-29T17:44:00.000-08:00

There are films like Husbands & Wives, Winter Light, The Passenger, Turning Gate, Last Life in the Universe, that, like a great work of literary fiction, you can return to and "re-read," finding more than you remembered each time through. Then, there are films like Napoleon Dynamite, Little Miss Sunshine, etc...that may have entertained the first time, but yield nothing upon re-visitation.

The next film we're shooting (This April) tentatively titled "Brothers" (a little nod to Woody Allen as that was his original title for Crimes & Misdemeanors") is an attempt to make a film that works like the type of novel you re-read for years. Interestingly, I think the key to making this type of film is using dialogue sparingly. Not even close to a "Cafe Lumiere" level of quiet, but a certain austere stillness in the characters, sequences and photography can be much more telling than constant literary chatter (something I find myself guilty of in my writing).

Planning is underway for an April/May shoot. I'm going to look at locations this coming week. Time to start saving some money (or making some money to save).

film lighting, a true story

2008-01-31T16:07:00.001-08:00

A little quote to inspire the believer in "practical lighting" (from a Maysles Brothers crew guy).

TRUE STORY: I was working on a Documentary series of interviews with THE ROLLING STONES. The director was Albert Maysles, one of the Maysles brothers who had directed the famous Rolling Stones documentary "Gimme Shelter". Obviously it was quite a high-profile job and there were two lighting guys, two grips, and a 10 ton lighting truck, with generator operator. We ran heavy duty cabling from our generator in preparation for a huge lighting set-up. The D.O.P. (whose name I unfortunately forget) ended up using only ONE CHINESE LANTERN connected to a dimmer. By the end of the day we just plugged that into the wall so we could wrap out our cabling. He also used a 100 watt pepper as a Backlight because there were people filming video as well as the two 16mm cameras.

duplassed

2008-01-26T21:03:00.000-08:00

I really can't keep making films in SD.

It's time to do the HVX thing. Good enough for the Duplass Bros. Good enough for me. (Expensive, but good enough).

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid:418678

cloverfield hvx200

2008-01-26T19:30:00.000-08:00

I would have been shocked if most of Cloverfield hadn't been shot on an HVX200. It just makes too much sense, knowing the camera (and everything else that's out there) and having seen the film.

It looks like most of the film was shot on the HVX.

Read about it here.

It was a pretty alright monster film that had me jumping around in my seat.

It also looks like I'm going to have to take out a big loan and get a new camera, tripod, editing suite, and the rest. I wish I could wait, but now is the time.

It's time to make movies. Monday, it's time to sell everything around here that somebody wants to buy.

Shopping.

New Soo

2008-01-22T11:39:00.000-08:00

Now, here's a guy who knows how to make a film.

a few things to do in 2008

2007-12-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

1. visit my family.
2. screen "When Life Was Good" at a film festival.
3. complete 2 feature films (hopefully at least one with a budget).
4. find the money for a decent HD camera.
5. find inner peace (or at least visit it once or twice).
6. rent an office.
7. find more time to read.
8. find more time to walk the dogs and watch movies.
9. launch some webisodic entertainment.
10. shoot the Strawberry Splits pilot.
11. more trips to Tofino with Kelly and the doggies.
12. spend more time hanging out with friends.

notes on JUNO

2007-12-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

" David Edelstein at New York finds that "The relentlessly jokey banter of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is taken to a screechy new level. Every character’s wisecracks come from the same place, like in bad Neil Simon." He's also unimpressed by the fact that "The jokes disappear for the end of each segment, when you’re supposed to shed a little tear." Michael Koresky at indieWIRE deems the film "self-satisfied" and writes that "taking a step back from the hype, it's hard not to feel like this aggressively clever, ultimately sentimental high-school comedy is less true seasonal counter-programming than just another Hollywood wolf in indie sheep clothing."

Visit us again, for the first time.

2007-12-07T09:21:00.001-08:00

When Life Was Good

The independent motion picture event of this afternoon!

BRAND NEW WEBSITE

New Site

Live blogging, video podcasts on independent filmmaking, the festival experience, making money making lo budget films, webisodic series, and SO MUCH MORE!

Billy Wilder on Producers

2007-11-30T12:21:00.000-08:00

Producers make you feel that if they weren't so busy with six enormous projects which are going to revolutionize the cinema, they could write it better, they could direct it better, they could compose, they could possibly act in it. The truth is they can't write it, they can't direct it, they don't know how to write a note of music. It's easy. It's like roulette. You've got twenty chips and you put them on various numbers. One or two of those chips are going to be winners. Then they will talk exhaustingly about the two or three chips that make a lot of money. - Billy Wilder on Producers

Addendum:

2007-11-28T20:42:00.000-08:00

Addendum:

Politics in the world of comedic art are a great way of lampooning and drawing attention to those who need that kind of attention.

Politics in drama, still definitely a DON'T.

And now, this:

what's it gonna be.

2007-11-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

DO NOT MIX

2007-11-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

PLEASE REMEMBER. Art and Politics do not mix.

Plays, films, and novels which deal with the unassailable investigate nothing and express nothing save the desire to investigate nothing. It is incontrovertible that deaf people are people, too; that homosexuals are people, too; that it is unfortunate to be deprived of a full happy life by illness or accident; that it is sobering to grow old.

These events, illness, homosexuality, accident, aging, birth defects, equally befall the Good and the Bad individual. They are not the result of conscious choice and so do not bear on the character of the individual. They are not the fit subject of drama, as they do not deal with the human capacity for choice.

-David Mamet

NEWS

2007-11-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Entry level new contest entry at filmaka.com

New short film here

A few more festival submissions for WLWG next week. Fingers crossed for one great festival. That's all we need. One little film holiday.

NCFOM

2007-10-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

you can't resist heading out to the movie theatre for this one.

WES ANDERSON

2007-10-04T08:50:00.001-07:00

Wes Anderson on "blocking in the dark"

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2007/09/27/arts/20070927_DARJEELING.html

NEW NEWS

2007-10-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

FILMAKA.COM news: Moving on to the final round!

Bill Pullman, Deepak Nayar, Paul Schrader, Thomas Augsberger, and Zak Penn voted for the Jury Level of Lost and Found.

The three clips they choose were diverse in subject and shooting style but they all had the same thing in common: great character development, good story sense, and a unique vision.

Bruno by Trevor Hardy is the Jury Level Winner. This is a comedy about the happy exploits of a lost dog.

The Jury Level Runner up is the darkly comedic The Cleaners by Terry Miles about a group of sexy women who clean up murder scenes for undisclosed clients.

Timeby Anne Heeno gets the Special Jury Prize. Shot in black in white, this drama explores the theme of ‘fate’ as a woman gets ready to go on a trip.

Well done to all of our Filmakas. There are two more contests until we go to our final round for this year..

NEW STUFF

2007-09-27T09:54:00.001-07:00

When Life Was Good should have a NEW WEBSITE by the time you're reading this.

Andrea Arnold "Red Road" article from GreenCine

A great bit on Red Road which was a great film.

New Teaser

2007-08-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

New Teaser on Facebook.

life

2007-08-11T10:27:00.000-07:00

Just working out the ending for the film. In editing I discovered a need for a quick scene between Casey and Faith that we're shooting tomorrow (Sunday). Then, it's time to get serious about finishing this film.

Music, sound, ADR, colour correction, and the occasional new shot. I'd love to have the film finished by the end of August, but that probably isn't realistic.

Perhaps a screening version to show to a select group of tastemakers and intelligentsia. That sounds right.

lifers

2007-08-05T12:29:00.000-07:00

WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD

Started in May? Wow.

It's hard to keep everything straight...the amount of writing for a film that features 90% improvised dialogue is...pretty crazy. The writing continues, but is now pretty much connecting things that have been left somewhat disconnected. Plot points that are clear to the cast and director are completely lost to the viewer (due to implication or omission on my part).

Sitting down with an impartial audience of one or two trusted viewers is essential. I'm thinking about asking a few really cool watchers, but I'm not sure how that's going to work. I'm hoping for a Canadian acting genius, a hilarious standup comedian and a brilliant Canadian novelist. Along with a few bottles of French red wine and the cast.

A When Life Was Good summit.

I'm going to rent a cool space and do it, next week, after I shoot and edit the next few pickups and the last theatre scene on Tuesday.

If you want to be in our film on Tuesday, check here.

WLWG UPDATED

2007-07-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

The greatest cast in the universe.

We're getting close...

New shots from yesterday's marathon shoot.

WLWG - and more

2007-07-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

WLWG

We're moving right along. Shot some great stuff today. Shot a short film called "Danny?" yesterday with Tijana, Dan, Kristine, and Casey. It's pretty funny, I think.

Thanks to rob for this link: Wow. I love Zach and Will. Nice.

Kanye done up proper

Back in the saddle

2007-07-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

WLWG is back.

We're shooting a bunch of stuff, including some out of sequence...sequences. VERY difficult with this type of improvised film, although, I've written all the scenes, so, in theory...

Paris Je T'aime was a really great film (although the mimes were annoying).

Editing is taking a while...I'm at 98 minutes and we're just over halfway finished (I'm guessing).

Hopefully John Paul McGlynn is going to make his first appearance!

Fingers crossed.

Let's shoot.

The end of Story.

2007-07-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

Great article on "Story"

net neutrality

2007-06-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

Rob's blog

2007-06-29T21:04:00.001-07:00

Check out Rob's blog. He has some kind words about When Life Was Good, but more importantly he talks about his new projects and some other film stuff you need to know about.

Narcissistic Fibrosis

One more note

2007-06-29T21:01:00.000-07:00

"Our films have so many imitation emotions that if a real one ever intruded, it would shock us or make us laugh. Mike Leigh tells the story of the time a table collapsed on stage and, as the actors scurried to keep the dishes from tumbling, the sudden honesty of their performance revealed the falsity of the entire preceding play."

-Just one more quick point from Ray Carney.

Some words from Ray Carney

2007-06-25T17:41:00.000-07:00

We have a mistaken notion that you make a movie after you've decided what you want to say. It's actually the reverse. You learn what you want to say by making the movie–like conversation, which would not only be more boring, but stupider, if we tried to plan it out in advance. Use film to learn.

* * *

Consciousness cannot precede expression. If you can storyboard your film in advance, if you know what's going to happen, how your characters are going to react and feel at every moment, save yourself a lot of time and trouble, skip the shoot and publish the storyboard. As Robert Frost said: No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.Knowingness is the curse of our art. The director knows what his characters are; the characters know what they themselves are; and the viewer knows what everyone else knows. Watch your mind at moments when you don't know something: when you meet a new person; when you hear a loud sound at night but don't know what it is; when you're running out and looking for your wallet or keys. How does your mind function differently from when it is on autopilot? Most of the important parts of life are lived not in the state of knowing, but of not-knowing. Get that into your work. Let your characters experience it, let your viewer experience it. Look at the scene in Tarkovsky's The Sacrifice in which a loud sound is heard off-screen and a pitcher of milk spills. Why is it more powerful than if the cause of the sound were shown or explained? Don't explain more than life does.

* * *

If you don't change your mind about your characters and their situations several times as you make your movie, you aren't holding yourself open enough. You aren't allowing yourself to learn. Cassavetes re-edited his films over and over again, as his understandings of the things he had filmed changed.
The solution most movies urge is a continuation of the sickness they depict. They give characters problems to solve and then show them going about solving them. Their narratives are an extension of the business ethos that causes most of the problems in our culture in the first place. These movies never question the belief that we are what we do, what we control, what we own. We live in a capitalist culture addicted to the virtues of doing. But life is less about doing anything, than being something. If your film hinges on a figure's doing or accomplishing something, you are part of the sickness. You are making feature-length commercials for IBM.

* * *

Ever notice how much more interesting a movie is when you channel surf into it ten minutes after it has begun? Or how fascinating even a dumb movie is for at least a few minutes before the idiot plot kicks in? It gets boring the minute you figure it out, or as soon as the characters are given a road map to follow. How can you keep that openness in your movie, that state of uncertainty in the viewer (without, of course, relying on Hitchcockian tricks to stoke up fake dramatic interest)?

* * *

Why do we think film should be easier, purer, more idealized than life? Don't spoon-feed the viewer. Don't give him or her predigested bits of knowledge. The experience of a good film should be as demanding and raw and unassimilated as the experience of life.

MORE ESSENTIAL READING HERE

WLWG another day of magic

2007-06-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

Terry shooting Dan and Casey and the crazy cute seals.

Brooklyn peeking. We said no peeking.

Here's Casey from WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD pondering the nature of the universal and the unconditional love of the Creatrix.

UPDATE:

Shooting is moving right along (just waiting for the rain to stop so we can shoot this afternoon). Our house is flooded. I finally wrote the ending of the movie (although this is my sixth ending, so we'll see...but it feels pretty good). The Casey and Brooklyn relationship is heading into murky uncharted and interesting territory. Should make for a great sprint to the end.

Actors schedules continue to inform the plot, especially supporting cast. It's been a very liberating and challenging process to shoot a film at the whim of whatever's going on at the time. Whatever happens, happens for the good of the film. That's how we do.

YUMI IN LOVE screens on Tuesday. Terrifying.

Thanks to Mona and Kristine for the photos! Thanks to Kristine, Casey, Dan, Rob, Mona, and the seals for a great day!

There Will be Blood.

2007-06-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.cigarettesandredvines.com/main.php?id=N01

Life goes on

2007-06-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

WLWG

For a film that's mostly improvised, this project has been harder and more time consuming as far as writing goes. I've done more writing on When Life Was Good then on any of the 9 feature film scripts I've written.

I know. Crazy.

I believe I may have completed the story...now, to see if that's true, I'll have to shoot it.

We did some "reshoots" (Rob cut his hair, so we'll have something to talk about on the commentary track) on Casey's roof. Just some points of information that needed to be clarified. I'm impressed by the actors more and more each day. I can't wait to finish this film and move onto the next one.

I'd like to shoot one more feature film before September rolls around, but I'm torn between three projects. HAMLET, CINEMANOVEL, and ZOE.

They are SO different. How to choose...

Brand New Teaser for When Life Was Good

2007-06-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

JUNE 14, 2007

Brand New Teaser for WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD is up.

Shots

2007-06-09T11:29:00.001-07:00

Some photos by Mona:

You can see the huge crew, the script for the scene, the food. The magic. The life.

WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD

Shot two scenes yesterday. Things went pretty well. Tijana was fantastic as the Energy Healer...Michelle was our amazing Chloe. Casey and Kristine extend their genius.

Nothing for today, but tomorrow should be huge. As soon as the Mcdonald's breakfast is digested...it's time to write the scenes for tomorrow. No rain.

Also, the teaser is back up.

WhenLifeWasGood.com

Casey & Mischa

2007-06-06T23:50:00.000-07:00

Great stuff today with Casey and Rob (Casey & Mischa). Casey let us shoot up on the roof of his house. It looks pretty great (the actors were great as always), but the sound in this city...loud.

Every shot in this film is handheld, and I think that's the only way to do this. It feels right.

We have some other days scheduled. This also feels right. Sitting around waiting for a movie to happen isn't making a movie happen.

I'm tired and rambling and going to bed. I ordered a second wireless mic setup on ebay. Sorry credit card, but the movie comes first.

WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD - Teaser

2007-06-03T08:28:00.001-07:00

WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD

Teaser

When Life Was Good - teaser

THE WEBSITE "Portal" styles. EVERYTHING under one "roof."

www.cinemanovel.com

WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD - Website

www.whenlifewasgood.com

All the best,

Terry

PS: When Life Was Good could certainly use an investor or two. Please visit one of our websites and email for more details. Thanks!

DOGME #196

2007-05-31T09:14:00.000-07:00

Breakthrough...

2007-05-29T11:21:00.001-07:00

WLWG

Shot some great stuff and then sat down with the cast and watched a cobbled together 57 minutes (probably the first 20-25 minutes of the film).

It was really great to sit there and watch the footage with other people. It really gave me perspective on where and when the main characters get lost, where to breath, where to chop.

I've combined the film and the web series in this first section...now I just have to "pull out" the film sections...

The stuff we shot the night before last looks really great. Once I add that stuff (and the stuff from last night), I think I'll have an entirely different film.

I'd better stop typing and start editing, because I'd like to watch the new film before bed.

WLWG

2007-05-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

Talking, Tea-bagging, and lounging. Casey, Mishca, Faith & Brooklyn (Casey, Rob, Keri, Kristine) When Life Was Good

when life was good

DAY SOMETHING of an INDETERMINATE NUMBER OF DAYS.

THINGS I LEARNED DURING LAST NIGHT'S SHOOT:

immolate \IM-uh-layt\, transitive verb:
1. To sacrifice; to offer in sacrifice; to kill as a sacrificial victim.
2. To kill or destroy, often by fire.

the on camera boom is not automatically out of the shot.

Relish is cool.

Wine is fine but Jägermeister's quicker.

There are faeries.

there seems to be no possible way for us to shoot less than 3 tapes (3 hours) no matter how short the scene.

my dogs don't know that when daddy goes to bed at 3:30 in the morning their usual 7:30 wake-up mauling is not quite the same wonderful gift.

Life is good

2007-05-27T15:42:00.001-07:00

Kristine Cofsky is BROOKLYN in WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD.

When Life Was Good shoots tonight at Relish (thanks Kristine!)

Things are moving right along. Dan and Rob (both Robs), Tijana, Kristen, Adam, Shauna, and Michelle (tonight) have contributed some really great stuff.

The website is new and improved and now features TWO distinct project sections, THE WEB SERIES and THE FEATURE FILM. This will be updated and improved constantly.

WhenLifeWasGood

Spread the word. Life is Good.

When Life Was Good

2007-05-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

Here we go peeps.

WLWG is online and on the case.

http://www.whenlifewasgood.com

Here's the site. Will be back with the first podcast detailing our launch plans. This is gonna matter.

Stay tuned...

T

http://www.ashleypark.net