31.1.06

And the Oscar goes to...

I read the Oscar nominations today. I just can't get over some of the nominations - hilarious! That guy from 90210. That chick from Pirates of the Caribbean. A song called "It's hard out here for a pimp." You know what this means don't you? It means that there is a chance for me to win an Oscar (see goal #69.



Speaking of me winning an Oscar, I've been putting my free weekend hours into my first documentary feature. The film follows the journey of 9 adventurers in their epic traverse of Canada on bicycles. Yeah, it's movie about me and my friends when we crossed Canada in 2003. The first cut of the movie was 125 minutes. Amber previewed it for me and made some suggestions for the cutting board. It's tough to see something subjectively after putting 100+ hours into studying and organizing 9 hours of footage/interviews. I'm really enjoying the results. I'm aiming for under 90 minutes.

I'm also aiming to enter the film in the Montreal World Film Festival for August/September of this year. I guess my category would be Documentaries of the World or First Films World Competition. I think it would just be fun to go to Montreal and have people pay to see my film. That's a severe kick.

There is of course that little nagging doubtmonster that tells me that "my film's not good enough." That people will leave the cinema wanting their money back. That they won't clap at the end of the film. That they won't want to get their photo with me after the show. That during the question and answer period, they as me where the bathroom is. That the audience will talk throughout the movie about how aweful it is, and that I will miraculously be able to decipher every single word that is said as I sit in the front row, tears streaming down my face. But then again, they might enjoy it. I think April, Gabriel, Kevin, Mati, Danny, Aimee, and Peter will enjoy it - they will of course be my guests of honour (the polite way of forcing them to attend - don't want an empty theatre!). Plus, it will be handy to have decoys if the crowd turns on me for subjecting them to 90 minutes of cliché driven drivel for the ripe ticket price of $10.

I can't wait! Yessiree Bob! Justin's gotta come to as I'm trying to rope him into doing the soundtrack. Plus we'll get to eat poutine.

6 comments:

Amber said...

My only concern regarding your film career is that I won't be able to fit into my black dress for the Oscars Ceremony when you win best documentary.

Anonymous said...

Man, I'm there in a second!

I have a movie feature on my new digital camera. I can take mid rez shots (640x480) for however long until my memory card fills up (1 GB) or hi rez (800x600) for 60 seconds. So far I've taken cheezy panning shots when I'm somewhere where there is some action. Or not. (In Paris, I took a 30 second shot of the Eiffel tower "sparkling" at night... pretty cool to look at, but hardly somthing I would call "footage"). Anyways, what I'm getting at is that I would like to make a short (i.e. 2 minute) film composed solely of footage or scenes taken with the hi-rez mode. This means that either I need to plan/storyboard properly to limit one shot to less than 60 seconds, or just give 'er and see what I can use.

In the preceeding jumble of incomprehensible words, I was essentially saying this: woudln't it be cool to make a film exclusively from a digital camera shooting video, i.e. a non-video camera video.

Marta said...

So from your comment about the chick from Pirates movie I'm guessing you don't like Keira Knightley. I have to say I like her in Pride and Prejudice.

If your movies makes it to the theathers, Jeff and I will try to be there to watch it (but It would have to be really good :) ).

Zaak said...

Keira Knightly - hubba hubba. I just think it's funny that this pop actress got nominated. I'm sure she was great in Sense and Sensibility - haven't seen it.

Hey, and thanks for the vote of confidence. So, if it makes it to the theatres in Montreal you'll come Marta? and drag Jeff there? THat's great.

Kevin. Make the short. The trouble really is writing the story. Kurt, a friend of mine is sending me the bible of screenwriting. I'll try my hand at it after I read it. If you saw Adaptation, it's the guy who the screenwriter's brother goes to the conference of who wrote this book.

Amber, I think, because it's the Oscars and fashion is king, that we could probably get you a new black dress - or if you prefer, let the other one out a bit. But, now that I think of it, I think you could still fit it.

Anonymous said...

Hmm, so the issue is writing the story. Enter the Screenwriter's Pocketmod!!

Zaak said...

Screenwriter's pocketmod... That has a miraculous ring to it.

I added a page of movie ideas to my pocketmod. I've managed to jot down a couple ideas so far.