Seminar gives wannabes some assistance

Julien R. Fielding

Wannabe filmmakers gathered at the Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday for an all-day "Nebraska on Film" seminar.

As part of the Great Plains Film Festival, this offering began with "The Script Doctor Is In," presented by legendary screenwriter Lew Hunter. It ended with "Producing Feature Films in Nebraska," a panel discussion with six producer-directors.

Hunter, author of "Screenwriting 434" and faculty member at the University of California at Los Angeles, discussed how to write a screenplay based on the three-act model while reminiscing about his nearly 50-year career in the film industry.

His most entertaining stories concerned his years at Walt Disney Studios and Walt's unbending attitude about happy endings, particularly in the case of "Old Yeller."

Following his lecture, this Superior, Neb., resident gave those attending a chance to submit ideas to him for feedback. For an educator of Hunter's stature, the $50 cost of the workshop was more than paid for in the first hour.

Participants wondering whether to shoot their first feature on digital video or film found plenty of advice Saturday. Two separate panels, one at 10 a.m. and the other at 1 p.m., offered the pros and cons of each medium.

Representing the film side of the issues were University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor Sharon Teo and directors Doug McMains, Jeremy Lerman ("Nebraska Supersonic") and Scott Pittock ("Pop Gun"). On the other side of the fence sat directors Chad Haufschild ("Dog Eat Dog") and Daniel Iske ("The Dean's Boys").

The pros for film were relatively few. Although the medium gives a more professional looking product, many admitted that the costs could be prohibitive. For his 30-minute feature, with a 9-to-1 shooting ratio, Pittock spent about $15,000. Lerman spent approximately $28,000 on his 75-minute feature, "Supersonic."

Considering the cost of film school, Lerman said, the investment could be worth it IF it led to a film contract. If not, shooting on film could turn into an expensive hobby.

Teo explained that many of the costs could be assuaged by begging, bartering and shopping wisely. For example, film stock remainders can be purchased at a fraction of the cost on eBay; using Fuji over Kodak saves considerably; and mentioning a studio discount can knock off 20 percent.

Another money-saving device is to shoot on transparency film rather than negative.

Because of the size and weight of the equipment, a director using film also inevitably requires a larger crew; in most cases, seven to eight people for a narrative feature. Many of the DV users relied on just two other people.

Iske and Haufschild explained that what they appreciated about digital video was its low cost and immediacy.

With prosumer editing software and cameras available at the local store for just a few thousand dollars, the director conceivably could own his or her own equipment. Therefore, should inspiration strike at 1 a.m., a director wouldn't be constrained by availability or cost.

Also, with DV tapes so affordable, a director could shoot a 100-to-1 ratio if he or she wanted at very little cost. And, finally, by using certain software products, a director could make his or her video look like it was shot on film without all the hassles.

Esthetics aside, most of the panelists agreed on the importance of sound. One even went as far to say 50 percent of the budget should be allocated for sound.

New York-based director and cinematographer April Patrick gave a workshop at 2 p.m. called "Directing Techniques." She had professional actors experiment with seven different techniques, such as Stanislavksi's "The Method" and Strasberg's "sensory memory."

By doing these exercises, Patrick demonstrated how a scene could be enhanced or changed.

The filmmaker also explained the importance of research and complete exploration of the script. Going onto the set more prepared than anyone else is not only essential but also avoids looking foolish and losing one's crew, she said.

The final component of the seminar, "Producing Feature Films in Nebraska," included advice and war stories from "The Truth About Tully" director Hilary Birmingham, producer Annie Sundberg and actor Anson Mount; producer-director Dana Altman of North Sea Films; director Robert Byington ("Tuna") and director Mark Hoeger of Oberon Entertainment.

Hoeger, who recently shot the football film "Full Ride" in the Omaha area, said he once heard that "film is the art of painting with money," and he had since found that to be true.

"It's very expensive," he said.

To get a better grasp of how to raise money, for about 15 years he served as the executive director at the Omaha Theater Company for Young People in Omaha.

"I learned how support of the arts works," he said. "I also had to learn what motivates those people and where they came from."

Hoeger believes the main reason his project even got off the ground was because of television writer Don Winslow's involvement.

Altman, who grew up around the film industry, acknowledged that while filmmaking is an art form, it's equally a business.

To raise capital for his film, "The Private Public," he conducted preliminary research into foreign markets. Figures he received from Scan Box were outstanding, indicating that the film would exceed its $1.5 million price tag by 400 percent.

But backers proved less than reliable. Many pulled out, leaving Altman to pick up the pieces. He ended up making the film for a fraction of the original cost.

"No one wants to lose money," he said. "True investors want to see returns."

As a first-time filmmaker, Birmingham learned she had to be assertive when it came to raising capitol.

"You have to be bold," she said.

To get together the money she required, she asked everyone she knew for a donation. And when she looked at the bottom line, she got even bolder, sometimes asking for $100,000 checks.

Once the film is completed, problems are far from over, Altman and Birmingham said.

Altman signed a distribution agreement with a German company, only to find that two months later it changed to a licensing company.

"We were stuck with a product and no buyer," he said. "It's difficult these days. No matter what you make, everyone's too chicken to say yes or no."

Hoeger concurred.

"They say you only lose your job in Hollywood if you make a decision," Hoeger said.

Birmingham said although she had few problems during her 23 days of filming in Nebraska, the floodgates opened when it came time to securing a distribution deal.

"We went to festivals to sell it, and we did - two partners - one that was coming back into the game and a Canadian company," she said. "But the puddle grew into a pothole when they ended up not getting along."

The situation careened out of control when one the companies filed for bankruptcy. "We're still trying to untangle ourselves from it," she said. "We can't get out until it's resolved. We are now in tortuous limbo."

Despite her trials, Birmingham remains positive.

"You learn to jump hoops, but ultimately, it's worth it," she said. "You're trying to jump off a bigger cliff by making a feature film, so it should be hard. But then the rewards, too, can be much bigger."

Seminar gives wannabes some assistance was originally published in The Daily Nonpareil on 19 July, 2001. © Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil LLC