Archive for March, 2010
This has been our third shoot and I must say it has been the most fun as well as the most interesting. Apart from playing with Samaria swords dressed in robes while french farmers drive by in bewilderment Divorce papers plays an intriguing role in questioning the relationship of our personal lives and relationship to those we create through social networks. For those who have seen the original update in which this weeks video was based from (which can be found in the Inspiration category of this page) you will notice that this particular post sparked quite the debate, some expressed support and even celebration while others choose to take a more defensive approach while still trying to remain neutral. While others feel completely uninhibited in their comments there are still few how choose to address the statement with sensitivity, yet the urge to comment on issues in which one is even indirectly affected seems to be human nature. From a directorial and writers point of view this was a very interesting shoot, mainly because one of my lead actors was in fact the person who made the initial update. I don’t want to say that the first update used was easier to apply to a new situation because it wasn’t, the it certainly was a lot more impersonal, not only was this weeks update dealing directly with a huge aspect of someone’s life I am left with the responsibility of directing that very person with my interpretation of their own life.
I included this screen shot because it highlights the irony of facebook. As always I post my scripts here before the final video because I want viewers to be able to follow the development of how a creative thought evolves from start to finish. My actors posted a link to the strangestatus page and we got an interesting response to the script, from someone who wasn’t even involved in the initial update. It would seem that he found the script enjoyable and dare I say even impressed at how a simple facebook update could evolve into something far beyond it’s intentions, yet keeping the real names of those involved seemed to be unethical. I must say as a director I did feel a bit strange with this level of involvement in someone’s life but to change names of those involved would be an injustice to this project, and I can only assume I’m going to catch more heat once people start viewing the video. But that’s the point isn’t it, to invoke a reaction, I’ll like these to be entertaining but it’s not the over all goal, whether or not people like it is irrelevant, so long as it is provoking a reaction. Who knows, facebook will be forced to rethink how they structure their content due to this project, or at lease the people who provide the content.
Anyway this was by far the best shoot we have had and production will only continue to get better as I continue to hone my craft.
Open music playing. slowly fading in. Reveling a pair of pink soft toes laying in the cool snow. Camera slowly pans over following the curves of her body stopping at her face.
A slight line of dried blood stains her mouth
Fade out
Fade in
Above shot looking down. The woman laying on the ground of the white snow, blood drenched all around her
Fade out
Fade in
EXT: Apple Orchard: A light fog rolls over the fields.
The cameras low, slow panning from left to right. Slowly passing an assortment of weapons that are standing up out of the ground like soldiers at attention.
Just beyond the line of weapons and past a row of apple trees we see two fuzzy figures standing between two rows, about 50 feet apart from one another.
On the left stands a tall slender man dressed in all black except for his un-normally high socks in which his pants are tucked into. He is smoking a cigar.
On the right stand a shorter, man. dressed in more formal gowns.
Both men have swords on their back/in their hands.
CUT: CU of tall man with cigar
CUT: CU of short man grasping the handle of his sword
Small
…You’re right, but she took my best friend away from me for about six years.
CUT: CU of the cigar landing on the ground, putting it out with his foot.
Tall
(snickering)
Thanks for reminding me.
But that makes me a terrible person for allowing it…
Anyway, moving on…
As the tall man speaks the camera focus on the small man. He looks insane, furious, white knuckles grasping his sword before the tall man can finish his sentence he rushes
Small
(furious)
THAT’S FINE!
Bringing his weapon over his shoulder chopping at his opponent who simply steps aside.
I didn’t say she did the right thing!
Swinging his sword over his shoulder. Again is opponent just ducks the blow
But that’s NOT the reason why you guys aren’t together!
The small man hold his sword in front of him arm extended, the other tucked behind his back, charging his opponent.
Tall man
(dropping his sword so it lands perfectly upright in the ground and stepping INTO his attackers strike, wrapping his arm around the other mans and delivering a mighty blow to his throat)
When I decided to try and work things out
(another blow)
SHE was pregnant with him!
(small man tries to throw in a punch that is easily blocked)
Not much to defend there
(tossing his attacker to the ground grabbing his weapon and getting ready to strike when all of the sudden he looks up)
Far across the field we see another figure in the distance running a full pace. Brief case and papers flying everywhere. He finally makes his way over to the two men, handing a stack of papers over to the Tall man
Tall Man
Divorce paperwork… finally..
Lawyer
(trying to catch his breath)
I’m sorry, but this is a VERY good thing
Small Man
(still laying on the ground)
It wasn’t just Lauras fault why your getting a divorce!
I don’t like how she’s made to look like she’s the only one who did something wrong
Lawyer
(looking down at the man on the ground)
sternly: Laura was a bitch BEFORE I met her, WHEN I met her.
Tall Man
Yah.. and you guys didn’t have to live with her
Small Man
It’s done now, so not much more to say
Tall Man
(getting aggravated with the small man, shouting in his face)
There is SO much more I could say…
but I won’t
The Lawyer pushes back his glasses and knees down to speak with the man on the ground
Lawyer
Ryan is a better parent and a honest fella… he didn’t cheat on her, she needs to up and start being a mother
He stands back up looking at the Tall man. Giving him a nod. The Tall man nods back then brings his sword down fast
CUT: CU of Lawyers face as blood splashes all over it
Lawyer
wiping off his glasses and putting them back onto his face
Ryan, if you need some more legal advice let me know
Looking down as blood starts to run across his shoes, stepping back
we are all rooting for you and cam
The lawyer turns and start to walk off into the distance as the camera slowly pans back further and further away
FADE OUT
END
You can’t see it because I took a screen shot before I made my own post on this, but as soon as i read the context of this update I thought “this is Gold” and that’s what I wrote. This is a perfect example of facebook serving more then just place for brief, no committing, encounters to keep up to date on highschool friends and old relationships but an open window in someone’s life, those whom would shy away from certain kinds of confrontation or normally keep their thoughts to their self while among the general public seem to have no problem and at what could be interpreted as gratification by posting bold, controversial, responses. Why is this? probably because in real life when you say something to someone (especially a friend) you can’t just walk away and brush it off, you need to stand your ground. But the net makes things so impersonal, it’s as if they were typing a paper or writing a note. I think Jon Ippolito put it nicely when refuring to the architecture of Facebook, we treat it like any other webpage that we can just throw something up then walk away with absolutely no disruption in ones day, the differences is what you throw up there isn’t being seen by a bunch of random people who have no idea who you are and probably never will. It is your friends, family, bosses, employees anyone you feel compelled to befriend simply because you happened to know one another at one point.
Anyway I’m rambling. The script if this weeks inspiration should be up sometime today/tonight. Filming starts tomorrow. Video should be up by Monday or Tuesday. Make sure pay special attention to the contributors to both the initial update and this weeks actors. To read more on the topic of Social Networks and personal privacy check out this article by Elizabeth Bernstein entitled: HOW FACEBOOK CAN RUIN YOUR FRIENDSHIPS
