"The Director" Project!

[TGDirector]

Hello Fellow WorstPreviewers!

A couple of us here at WP has come to form our own WP Production of our very own film, right here. This forum is used for the collaboration of the many WorstPrevies Users that become involved in "The Director" Project.

Any ideas and/or documents posted within this thread from this moment forward will be safe from copyrights. This day is August 10th, 2009. 10:34PM.

Synopsis: Ethic Drama.

A story about a small-town man in his late 20's who has a burning passion to be a true filmmaker. A director. He saves his money to leave his home-town to realize his dream is in California. His adventure contains meeting new people, seeing new places, the world for what it is. But most of all, discovering himself. His vision is a vision Hollywood lost years ago...

[SpookyCupcakes]

Alright, I'm all for this, as previously stated.

We should just change it to "Drama" since I can't see this having much to do with ethics to be honest...

What should the Directors name be?

[TGDirector]

Hmm, that's a toughie. Let's list some guy names.

-Doug
-Bill
-Michael
-Jordan
-Williams
-John
-Daniel

There's about a millions of names we could give him. Of course he's going to be American. So it's going to be an average name. But we also have to look at his last name too. Because if he's going to be a Director. He's going to need to use his first and last name. Sometimes Directors use their middle initials as well.

[SpookyCupcakes]

Ok, we should make the initial stand for something, but not mean it literally.

Daniel H. Hall?

Daniel "Hollywoodland (old hollywood, the classic hollywood)" Hall?

[TGDirector]

Actually that will definately work. You're adding a little history behind it. I like it. So we'll use Daniel H. Hall.

We won't tell the audience what his middle name stands for. Adding some depth and secrecy to the story.

[minkowski]

Hmmm. I have an issue. Does it have to be California? It seems everyone goes to California. You could set it in another time or alternate history. make it realistic, not sci-fi, but have the guy a traveling salesman that's using his job to send him to a place where they make movies.

He could sell 'musical bubble blowers' or something. I know that sounds silly. Something set in a place not so similar and yet close to what we know. One shade off the expected color in the spectrum. make it a serious drama, but give it that Oz tint.

His camera is a called a chromatoscope. And he's off to the Isle of Tumberhill, where beautiful glitzy peope make films and enjoy life. His trip is one rather wacky and unexpected event after another. He sells some sort of device, a musical instrument or something like a Roomba. He gets ideas for his films through the people he meets and the adventures he suffers. (The adventures can be left for later)

All this, all this pain and suffering, this whole ordeal and then he finally arrives. He crosses the bridge via a suspended train to the Isle of Tumberhill and sees it isn't quite a paradise, it isn't what he thought at all. Just a bunch of people wasting money, taking what they want from life and thinking nothing of the common folk except seeing them as spigots of money to turn on and off.

Our protagonist is terribly disheartened. his naive idealism dashed, his vison of the home where he believes he belongs replaced with something else entirely. But he tries anyway. He has his scripts and notes and footage and so he goes before one of the big guys that can grant him the cash to produce his film, but they aren't interested. He's devastated. You see that final break in his spirit and he's bent, enarly broken. All that work, all that time and he has nothing to show for his trevails.

And then he meets an old guy languishing in the streets. Two bums talking. he discovers that the bum is a lot like him! The older bum tells him that he was once a filmmaker too. But he went the glitzy route and stop follwing his heart to tell a story. After years and years of fast life and enormous wealth, he hadn't done a thing to lift people up, he hadn't told a story that was important to him, he hadn't made a film that transcended crass commercialization. He's wasted his life as a assembly man on a cinematic conveyor belt. The fast life had wrecked him, and he had eventually found nothing to keep him going. More and more hollow pursuits just dig a bigger
and bigger hole, and he fell in. The older bum tells him this is life before you if you choose the easy path and give in. he tells him the road to the story is in your heart and mind, not in your wallet. Tell the story how you feel, be genuine, and do not flinch. People WILL listen, and you'll transcend mere filmmaking.

The younger bum, the filmmaker to be, gets up, dusts his hat and starts to set off to find a way to pursue his dreams. He's DETERMINED with renewed vigor to tell his story, to make the film that he carries in his heart. He says goodbye and begins walking away. His back is to the older bum. The old bum says, say hi to Angeline. The younger bum, still looking away, not looking back, not really hearing, says who is that. There's a half smile on his face and crinkles under his eyes. The older bum says, you'll know when you meet her.

The younger bum turns around. He's perplexed, but a hint of that boyish smile lingers on his face. The bench is empty. How did he do that he thinks. A few leaves kick by. A pause. and then he turns around and walks back towards the train to return home. You can see in his walk a renewed purpose, a swing and confidence missing. He's not just some bloke with a camera, he's a soldier of the story.

[minkowski]

Raymond C. Halston.

Middle name: Charles. named after his grandfather, a war veteran that took up the cause of pacifism after he served meritoriously in the last great war.

Halston: a corruption of Hills Town, the town his immigrant ancestor settled in when they arrived ages ago. Changed his name to Halston legally. Got the idea from the town's name.

In his battered old wallet, Raymond carries around a photo of his grandfather.

[alexgi]

If you guys need me for anything, let me know.

[SpookyCupcakes]

And on Minkowski's note, I will now post the MSN convo that TG and I had last night:
(Names and certain info edited for paranoia)

SP says:
So we can make that a the primary shot, people running out of a theater while the two brothers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_and_Louis_Lumi%C3%A8re) look dumbfounded!
TG says:
Dude!
TG says:
We could so make that work.
TG says:
Add that into the story. Maybe have the main character explaining it to another person.
SP says:
or just have the camera at an angle where you can see the train pulling in on screen, and the brothers are by the doors, wondering why people are rushing past them away from their movie
SP says:
then we move onto charlie chaplin?
TG says:
That would be smart. The main character would be narrating over these footages and explaining how Hollywood came to be and what it morally came into the art of storytelling.
TG says:
"It used to mean something
TG says:
Until our time and generation"
SP says:
Well, I like that. a lot of quick shots with quick explanations of the history of film.
TG says:
Yeah, nothing too long or fancy
TG says:
We'll add how Hollywood became a money-hungry cooperation and we'll intentionally aim it 20th Century Fox just because most people at WP hates Fox.
SP says:
YES
SP says:
I LOVE THAT IDEA
SP says:
I can see the line "Without the bowler hat, and 20 years later, a lot of movies were made about this man (shot of hitlers third reich speech), which was roughly 20 years after chaplin's time"
TG says:
^_^ yay I can see that too!
TG says:
Oh! We're getting someplace.
SP says:
Oops, I said 20 years later twice
SP says:
but yea the meaning is still there
TG says:
Just kind of wish the rest was here to see us typing out these ideas
SP says:
We'll cut/paste?
SP says:
onto the forum thread, that is
TG says:
Acslaterson said he just downloaded MSN and it's [insert Acslaterson's email here]
TG says:
Doesn't seem like a MSN screenname but I tried adding it anyways
TG says:
It went through but he's not online right now
SP says:
Yea, i saw that on the thread
SP says:
I just added it right now
TG says:
So he's in Ohio, you're in Canada. I'm in Washington. We gotta find out where the others are from
SP says:
Looks like a lot of skype conference calls will be happening
TG says:
But yeah we'll definitely add all this to the forum, keep everyone in the loop
TG says:
Probably not the whole conversation, but mainly the ideas we've came up with. Get some hype built around it and get people more excited than they are. So that will really happen instead of it just ending up an idea and nothing else.
SP says:
yep
SP says:
When was hitchcocks era?
TG says:
ooh I wanna say 40's maybe 50's
SP says:
ok because then we can use the chaplin/hitler transition to lead us into the hitchcock age
TG says:
Explain how hitchcock change film
TG says:
and everything
TG says:
And that'll go in.
SP says:
and with that we can use a shot of hitchcock using hershey chocolate sauceas fake blood in his movies
SP says:
that and some other things that he's done
SP says:
the shower scene in psycho
TG says:
How he was able to do a lot of those things cheap and without the expensive effects that we have today
TG says:
And still make it incredibly believable
SP says:
YES. then we can move onto kubricks stuff (I wanted to say Lucas', but how could you forget kubrick?!)
SP says:
maybe a shot of kubrick in a war room, or directing alex where to go?
TG says:
hmm that could work
TG says:
So we have the 2 brothers, Chaplin, Hitchcock, Kubrick and Hollywood's downhill (mainly pointed at 20th Century) as a narrated intro by our main character before we go into his story.
SP says:
after kubrick, we'll have Lucas' original star wars
TG says:
Oh big one.
SP says:
and then that's when things go downhill
TG says:
"I think Lucas and Steven''s were the last real hollywood filmmakers back then. But not much now"
TG says:
"After them, Everything else fell to the ground."
TG says:
"Even themselves. (preferably a shot of lucas' neck fat)
TG says:
Well mainly Lucas."
SP says:
We could use the return of the jedi, followed by terminator to illustrate the last few original movies
SP says:
then show the new dawn, the 21st century
SP says:
with the star wars prequels, T3, then the countless remakes
TG says:
You know I just kind of had an idea.
TG says:
You know how some of the people on WP wanted this to be a documentary and then I suggested it being a real film. What if we incoporate different views of story-telling with the camera. I mean, for example we have a new true filmmaker today and that's J.J Abrams or Martin Scorcase
TG says:
And we know Abrams style of filming, like what he did with Cloverfield, very imaginative and creative way to tell a story through a handheld camera.
TG says:
What if we were to use all these different camera styles to make this film work
TG says:
Make it look like a documentary, real film, handheld. etc. so on and so forth. And what's even more creative, we can use any genre the main character wants to make. Even though the main basis of the actual story is a drama.
SP says:
Well, I'd prefer the opening story telling to be in slight slow motion (please hold off the snyder references), and colour to eventually happen, maybe when kubrick starts, and eventually picture quality turns into hd
TG says:
Well I know that. I wasn't talking about the beginning.
SP says:
Ok
SP says:
I'm just throwing it out ther
TG says:
The intros in itself, by itself.
SP says:
Ok, yea, ok
TG says:
I'm talking about like through out the entire film
TG says:
I mean he's going to have his big nice camera he starts out with, we look through that sometimes. And when it gets stolen, he's able to afford a cheap handheld camera, we look through that. (Editors note: We could also slowly zoom in on the viewfinder whenever we're about to watch his mini films)
SP says:
Ok, I'm liking it
TG says:
And the main camera for the main story is a real movie camera
TG says:
We're being creative with all these different type of cameras for this movie and within the story itself, the character is working whatever he can work with in his own style
SP says:
Ok, I know the complete discontent older people have with handheld cameras
SP says:
Yea, I was gonna add to that, but it's pretty much all i had to say
TG says:
We can make it work
SP says:
If we're very precise how we write the story, it'll pan out perfectly.
TG says:
Like the different people he meets along the road and askes them to be a part of their movie. Different people have a certain chemistry with a certain camera. Certain combination of a genre, actors/actress and camera that works well together
SP says:
Yea
SP says:
We can gather a world perspective on how people nowadays see the modern cinema as
SP says:
people from all age groups and walks of life
TG says:
EXACTLY!
TG says:
The adventure of filmmaking, the adventure of storytelling, the art of it. Doing it for the love of it, the hell of it. Not for the money. Just making and telling stories.
SP says:
I'd love to put a scene in with a bunch of loud, obnoxious teenagers, telling him that his movies suck or something, without having even seen them.
TG says:
I am sure we could add that
SP says:
Because that would convey, perfectly, what I think of Matinee groups
SP says:
they be loud, obnoxious, kick your seat, and when they get out they didn't like the movie because they "Couldn't understand it"
TG says:
I'd like to add a scene somewhere, where he'd walk into a biker bar. And they all look mean and tough. He gets to know them and they're actually really nice people. He askes them to play in a short and the bartender lets him use his bar for a scenary, able to use the walk-in refridgerator, the bikers, passer-by. etc.
TG says:
I like where you're going with that.
SP says:
Same here, but with your suggestion
SP says:
he could give his ballcap to one of his subscribers on youtube that he meets
SP says:
granted he'll only have 25 (Subscribers) or something
TG says:
I like the whole youtube idea.
SP says:
but that ballcap becomes worth a lot in the long run
TG says:
I wanna get it to where he keeps adding his shorts to his youtube acocunt. But doesn't pay attention to any of the viewers
SP says:
Yea, and one day he just forgets about it and looks back and he is one of the most all time subscribed directors?
TG says:
Yes
TG says:
That's exactly where I am getting at
TG says:
Like he created a short that became incredibly popular and he forgets about checking youtube for awhile and he checks back and he's this huge youtuber
TG says:
But here's the kicker. When some youtubers asked him to create a sequel or if he was going to. He'd say no.
TG says:
When they ask him why, because there was no need. It was his original. Nothing more or less needs to be done with it. No need to ruin it.
SP says:
HA!
SP says:
perfect, I love it!
TG says:
Of course people are gonna get pissed. But that''s the point.
SP says:
yea, because they would get pissed if he did a sequel too
TG says:
Actually the other way around. We're making it seem as if people are clueless about how fucked up the movie business is
SP says:
Ah
TG says:
They would get pissed because he wouldn't do a sequel.
TG says:
He isn't hollywood. In fact he's quite the opposite. He's a filmmaker warrior. He knows what he's doing when it comes to storytelling.
SP says:
the Che of hollywood
TG says:
The main character is Worstpreview's wish that everyone in Hollywood would be like him
SP says:
And adding onto that whole ballcap thing, if we do those ending credit montages about the little kid and the ballcap?
TG says:
hmm that would be the assumption the audience would have to make of what happened to everything
TG says:
Remember we want to end it with an inspiration of what SHOULD change and what should be shut down.Not showing it. When the audience watches the movie, they're going to go "Okay, so what happened?" We're not going to answer that question. Why do you think we're not going to answer it?
SP says:
Because we want them to think, and not spoonfeed it?
TG says:
Exactly. We want them to ask themselves questions, we have to assume they're smarter than us. And that's how it should be. We shouldn't have to explain or show everything in a story.
TG says:
Leave some imagination to the audience. You leave imaginations to the audience, you leave inspirations
SP says:
and that's what true originality is, when you leave it up to them to decide
SP says:
that's why I loved the truman show so much
TG says:
There you go! You're getting the idea.
TG says:
See how they ended the Truman Show? He just walked through the door, that's it.
TG says:
Nothing more. We don't know what happened to him, we'd like to think he had a great happy ending.
SP says:
yea
TG says:
but we can never know
SP says:
maybe he would have a hard time adjusting to the real world
SP says:
maybe it would all be too much for him
TG says:
maybe, maybe not. Who knows. Those are the questions.
TG says:
And asking those questions on and on. The filmmakers done their job, correctly
SP says:
so should the movie end with the character finally his script greenlit?
SP says:
and what could be even more interesting, is if we titled his script the title of our movie
TG says:
So we're going to end it some thing like that. What happened to Daniel, did he get a hollywood contract? Did he change lives or changed the industries? If it didn't, what he do?
SP says:
yea, but he have to add in the line "it's my intentions to change hollywood with this script"
TG says:
Those are question the audience gotta ask each other. Even we don't know what happened to Daniel after the story's over.
SP says:
somewhere, maybe somewhere where it really hits home later...
TG says:
We will add something like that to the end for sure.
SP says:
So are you in for titling the script as the same title as the movie?
TG says:
I think that will be a great way to do the title.
SP says:
That means we have to come up with his script within the movie.
TG says:
Not to mention we gotta write his shorts AND film Daniel's short film within the movie
TG says:
This is a lot of storytelling, I will tell ya
SP says:
It'll be worth it
SP says:
this will be the movie that will define the term movie
TG says:
Oh yeah! I'm pumped for it now.
SP says:
Good, now if we can just keep that enthusiasm for 2 more months then we have a script!
TG says:
We'll have to fill in the details to the WP Forum about how the film's going to work and how much depth is going into it, the different camera angles, different camera equipments, the short stories and his final script in the end. The intro to the film
SP says:
Well, Not all the gory details
SP says:
just a basic plot overview and to let everyone know that this is our original idea
TG says:
And I think with the help of Acslaterson, Mink, Ranger, DoucheNozzle and ourselves, we can have those shorts cranked out.
TG says:
Hmm true, you might be right.
TG says:
But I think we should keep, those selected people in the loop through MSN
SP says:
yea
TG says:
And I think it would be an incredible idea if a couple of us were to write different shorts for Daniel. Along side his adventure to CA
SP says:
what do you mean
TG says:
Like Acslaterson and DoucheNozzle were to write a short script for one of Daniel's short he puts on youtube. And Mink and Ranger were to write a different one and me and you were to write another. And we'll actually film those shorts. And they're real actual shorts.
TG says:
Within the film
SP says:
Oh ok, I see
SP says:
You realize you'll be most, if not all, of the filming
TG says:
Give it kind of a "I love you, New York" style type of thing
TG says:
I realize that. I have no problem doing that.
SP says:
i mean, just the shorts
TG says:
I can do the shorts.
TG says:
I have my own little production team that can help
SP says:
i don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but this script, if and when it's done properly, will be picked up pretty quickly

Well, with those idea's, integrating minks could prove to be a not so difficult task!

[TGDirector]

We did talk a lot about the film. And I do like the way things are piecing together. The cool thing is Spooky and I have found a way to involve a lot of people involved in the writing.

Within the story, the main character, Daniel is a filmmaker who of course, directs short films. And each short that he makes WILL be an actual short film. This also explains how there's more than ONE genre in the movie. Yes, the base-line of the movie is a drama. But the short films are not. This way we can bend and twist how each short film works into the actual storyline.

We figured we'll team 2 pairs of people on a script for Daniel's short film. Someone here on WorstPreviews will be able to pick their writing partner for that script. They have to pick a genre and write a neat and GOOD short film that will link into the movie itself.

EXAMPLE: Let's say Ranger wants to team up with Mink. They have to decide on a genre and work with each other. If that genre is already choosen, that's fine. BUT as long as the story is different. Let's try to expand our creativity and imagination!

Alex! I'm so glad you got see what the whole idea is about and I'm glad you'd like to help. You can help on anything you'd like, this is your site. You're the administrator! I don't know how much this is to ask of you, but would you be willing to post an article on WP about this WorstPreviews Production? Get some attention, draw some people in who be willing to SERIOUSLY help? This project isn't bullshit, it's really happening. I've talked to my crew, I've talked to several of the members here. They're willing to help and make this into a reality. Thank you for considering the help if you do decide on it! Thank you! Hope to hear back from you.

Mink, great ideas! Jesus Christ, you've wrote a novel. But it gave me something to read and I loved that. I'm trying to work in your ideas with mine and Spooky's and everyone else's. Its hard but the cool thing is we have endless of ideas and have a lot to work with! Thank you for your collaberation!


REMINDER!: Those who do not have MSN Messenger get it now, so we can confrence as a group and work alot faster! Again, my screename is, Drawinguy16@hotmail.com

Feel free to contact me!

[SpookyCupcakes]

I second the WP article, It'd help if we could get some exposure and help from more members!

[DoucheNozzle]

The way this project is coming together is very exciting! I'm currently downloading MSN Messenger, so I should be able to help out in whatever way I can pretty soon. TGDirector, SpookyCupcakes, and Minkowski, all your ideas sound great. Keep up the good work! Hopefully I'll be talking with you guys about the project on Messenger soon. :D

[TGDirector]

Great to hear from you DoucheNozzle! Hope to hear from you soon. We have to make sure Ranger and Mink get their messengers set up too so we can get this show on the road. Especially if you want to get this project into production sometimes this year!

I've been working hard on the base-line story, once that's done and people start giving me the short film scripts, I will lock that into the story as well!

I've decided as well to start doing Video Diaries of the updates and on the productions. To keep everyone informed and visually too. I will be showing you what I am doing and how it's being done. My real name will be revealed when the first Video Diary comes out! Look for it! Hopefully Alex will start posting articles for it to draw attention for this project.

[minkowski]

"Mink, great ideas! Jesus Christ, you've wrote a novel. But it gave me something to read and I loved that. I'm trying to work in your ideas with mine and Spooky's and everyone else's. Its hard but the cool thing is we have endless of ideas and have a lot to work with! Thank you for your collaberation!"

Hmm, ok. Well thanks for the positive comment but it sounds a lot like one of those 'good job but we're going in another direction/contracting with another group'. Or, 'I like you as a friend'.

No problem with me, it was something I pulled out of my ass, half-heartedly serious. One of those 'spur of the moment' things. Not like I thought seriously about any of it, and I do that all the time. I could spool a story the size of The Stand from just a soup can. It would suck ass, but I could do it.

But there's no point contributing if 1. Nothing is ever going to get made. and 2. You've already got a preconceived idea and your working along those lines. Besides, we were never even given a choice if genre. really. Someone said drama' and from there it morphed into what you're working on now. I mean, I've heard of punctuated equilibrium, but I'm more of a gradualism kinda dude.

As an interesting aside, this reminds me of by brother. Every half-baked, crackpot idea for a story he comes up with, he thinks is golden. The next blockbuster novel. And when I mention an idea, he's highly disdainful. He thinks originality is the single key to great and successful storytelling and it's not, unless you're trying to one-up everybody else. Anyway, that has little to do with you, as I think you're progessing nicely in a sane direction (unlike him) but think it's best if I work with my own stories. No offense, no hard feelings.

So with that, compadres, good luck and godspeed. Or whatever they say these days.

[TGDirector]

Shouldn't give up too easy Mink. ;) Spooky and I talked online about your ideas. We really considered it.Not like we would play it away from your ideas. This whole thing is about ocming up with a variety of different ideas based on what people come up with.

We decided for the base-line story to be a drama for several reasons. It's a seriously emotional journey of a boy who becomes a man on his adventure to become a Director. And on his way to California, he learns just that.

The story itself is a drama. BUT the films he creates which ARE going to be real short films. They can be any genre and it's up to you and the people of Worstpreivews to write those short films that the main character creates.

Besides, this is the real deal. This is really going to happen and I'm really going to make sure this story becomes a solid piece of work along with great character developments. When the script is done which should be close to 160 pages. I know someone who's worked for The Screenwriter's Guild, she's been a part of it for 10+ years. She even has a movie coming out she just wrote. I will go to her with the script and she will market it. Once someone picks it up and buys the script, we will have a budget. Once we have a budget, the shooting begins.

Once the shooting ends. The film will go to multiple film festivals, major ones like Sundance and Trebica. If someone along the line, loves it and a studio sees it, we might get a limited distribution, meaning theatrical and DVD.

Dude, you gotta trust me more. :) I have another project in the works and coming out to the web, a web-series called "The Trinity Project" my first season is almost done and I have the famous band, Aiden doing the musical score for it. Filming the whole thing with a Canon XL2 which is pretty much a movie quality camera.

So saying that, I'm hoping you'd have a little more faith, help me and everyone work this. And it'll work. Help me and others become the first online film crew for a film. I'm very serious about this working.

I have SpookyCupcakes and DoucheNozzle on msn right now and we're working on the story. :)