Help a Filmmaker: "Shape of Day"

I recently got in touch with Bosco Kim, a young filmmaker currently working on Shape of Day, a short film inspired by true events. Bosco has set up a crowdfunding campaign for his movie and told me about what makes his film special, some of his influences and the story's fascinating source.

What is your story about?

Shape of Day is inspired by a true event that happened in Pakistan. The story is about a Doctor who neglects to help a young victim hit by a car. The driver asks the doctor to provide the girl with immediate medical attention. However, the doctor is reluctant to help him because of the driver’s poor appearance. Finally, the doctor agrees upon following the driver and goes out. When the doctor sees the girl victim, he realizes that she is his own daughter. The doctor was given the last chance to save his loved one but he did not realize it. His daughter is dead. The event not only shocked me, but also inspired me a lot. In my version, I as a writer twisted the ending and changed the structure with the idea of a Mobius strip. I treated this story as a moral lesson which is hugely missed out in this materialistic society. This story urges the audience to reflect on their daily life and challenge people’s conscious mind.

You say the story is inspired by a real life event that happened in Pakistan, how do you think the situation would be handled by a Pakistani filmmaker?

I would answer in a different perspective. First of all, I am not from Pakistan. The difference of cultural background is a huge benefit for me because I will not be constricted by Pakistani tradition or culture. I am able to appreciate the beauty of Pakistani culture in a neutral but the artistic perspective. This situation would be similar to how Ang Lee handled the film Brokeback Mountain (2005). An Asian director who directed a movie happened in ........... If this film were handled by a Pakistani filmmaker, he might not be able to deal with the subject matter in a truthful way. However, I might have bring an objective perspective. Or at least I am trying.

How important do you think film schools is for future filmmakers?

This is still ongoing issue whether filmmakers should or have to go to film schools. For my own personal experience, however, it is such a privilege to attend a film school like the Art Center College of Design. Not only you connect with the future filmmakers as your peers, but also the school has invaluable access which helps you to find your specific path in your future career. To me, I will give a huge YES for film schools.

What inspired you to make movies?

Filmmaking is a childhood reflection, sum of all memories, and moments in filmmaker’s life. When I was 8 years or so, I started watching movies and immediately fell in love with it. Filmmaking itself is my passion, devotion, and vocation. It is not only a series of moving pictures, but also a mirror of the director’s soul who wants to make a change in people’s life. Hopefully I can be somebody who can inspire people the way I got inspired by watching different genres of movies.

Who are some of your biggest influences?

These are hard questions to answer. I will try to accommodate. For the inspirational filmmakers; Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, Quentin Tarantino, Jean Cocteau, Christopher Nolan and many others. For the literary inspirational writers; William Shakespeare, Emily Bronte, Albert Camus and many others.

What movies should we seek out this summer? 

I would say to moviegoers they should watch out for Elysium directed by Neill Blomkamp and Pacific Rim directed by Guillermo del Toro

Why should people invest in your movie?

This is an important question. The moviegoers in these days are getting smarter and becoming more critical viewers. For Shape of Day and my filmmaking career, my film world give the audience a different kind of journey where they thoroughly engage in the moment and afterwards they discuss about my film. Creating my own unique visual look with moral story is a major part that the audience should invest in my movie.

Intrigued? Check out Bosco's campaign right here. If you're interested in submitting your project, don't hesitate to email me.

Help a Filmmaker: "Lay in Wait"

Recently I got in touch with filmmaker Jonathan Ade, who's currently working on a new short film called Lay in Wait. I would go into more detail and make a longer intro about Jonathan's work, but I can't wait for you to read the plot:

"A married woman in an extramarital affair must find her wedding ring in the woods before the sun sets."

Right? I honestly can't wait to see how that unfolds. I spoke to Jonathan about his movie, his career and his crowd funding campaign.

The story sounds thrilling! What inspired you to write it?
I always think that the simplest stories based on the most primal of concerns tend to be the most universal of stories. After seeing Wendy and Lucy, I realized that you could make a feature-length film based on someone looking for something and it could be narratively compelling and emotionally impactful. Soon after, I came up with the idea for the very simple, yet very significant symbol of matrimony, the wedding ring.

Was it easy to find the right actors for these characters?

I actually wrote the main character with an actress already in mind. That helps the writing process, of course! The other two roles we are currently pinning down as we speak.

How important do you think film schools are for future filmmakers?
It depends. I think the most important thing for filmmakers to do is to work on their artistic perspective. What do they have to say? Why is it important to be said? This perspective can be cultivated in the field, and it can also be cultivated in schools, where you're a little more shielded from reality and have the opportunity to cultivate your mindset with some freedom. Simply put, you need an atmosphere of critical thought, and film school can certainly provide this, but it doesn't necessarily have to. Also, it can't be emphasized enough that if you go to film school, it's crucially important to meet people and grow relationships. Think of it as one big, long networking session, because filmmaking flat out requires collaboration for success.

Who are some of your influences?

They include (but are not limited to) Charles Burnett (filmmaker), Matsuo Basho (poet), JD Salinger (writer), Orson Welles (filmmaker/actor), Walter Murch (editor), Billy Collins (poet), Charles Chaplin (filmmaker/actor), Walt Whitman (poet), the Maysles Brothers (documentarians), Andrei Tarkovsky (filmmaker), Stan Brakhage (filmmaker) and George Orwell (writer).

Do you think crowd-funding is the way of the future for films?
They certainly are for some. I think the future will be a mix of crowd-sourced and traditionally financed projects, or even a combination of the two. Independent filmmakers were already piecing together financing from various sources for years; this is just the digitization of a process that independents have always worked with. And I think although there's a lot of power in expanding the network of contributors, you don't start at the top. Let's not forget that Veronica Mars and Zach Braff have built-in audiences because of traditional, break-into-the-industry success. For us little guys, it's going to be a slow climb to build our own audiences through this process. And it's something that has little precedent.

Why should people invest in your project?

Because a strong narrative voice is an important contribution to the arts. With all of the exciting, digital innovations happening these days, we can't forget that the best tool in a filmmaker's tool kit is their perspective. And it's been there all along.

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I urge you all to visit Jonathan's Kickstarter page (heck, it even made me blog again!) especially now that he's more than halfway there. I'm sure you want to find out how the story ends too!

Help a Filmmaker: The Crystal Crypt

A couple of days ago I was contacted by young filmmaker Shahab Zargari, who has recently started a fundraising campaign to shoot is dream project; an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's The Crystal Crypt. Few things warm my heart and get me as excited as the idea of new voices arriving to shake the film world, so I decided to let Shahab tell us a bit more about his movie in order to capture your imagination and maybe get you to help out in this interesting project.

What attracted you to this story? Have you always been a fan of the author?
I've been a Sci-fi nerd my entire life. I gravitated toward Philip K. Dick early on. He’s one of my favorite authors in the genre. I hadn't read this story until 2012, and was amazed at the execution.

You mention Hitchcock among your references. Elaborate a bit, what are some of your favorite Hitchcock movies and how has his work inspired you?

I love Vertigo and The Birds. But in relation to The Crystal Crypt, the Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV show really resonates. Those were all 20+ minute short films, many with unforeseen twists at the end. Not quite as out there as The Twilight Zone, but still very intriguing "stories with holes". The way He would direct each piece was amazing because he would keep the audience in a shroud of mystery before the big reveal. Amazing stuff.

How has the process been? Has it been easy to pre-produce sci-fi?

It's definitely a long and hard road to create a film of any genre, but sci fi is tricky in that there is a fine line between super cheesy and super alienating (pun intended).

How do you expect people to react to this short movie?
I hope it allows them to escape the issues and comforts of their own lives in order to analyze the real-world issues from an arms length. But mostly, I want sci fi fans to enjoy it completely.

Why should people invest in your project?

Something I just found out about today: Section 181 deductions have been extended through the end of 2013 to help keep filming within the United States. Section 181 basically allows up to 100% of the money
invested to be deducted from one's taxes. That should be reason enough! Become a movie producer and have the IRS pay you back! The rewards you get for your pledge will be icing on the cake! More info
can be found on Google or here: http://besttaxbreak.net/

You can donate money for The Crystal Crypt by visiting this site.