WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Suggestion

So as you know, myself, pete and tim organized the filming of the first segment of the film, from filming to final edit. The question is now: how to move foward from here.

As far as I personally am concerned, I can't continue working on the film in the same capacity as I have been- this film has been the focus of most of my time and energy over the past 4 months and I just can't continue devoting so much of my efforts to it. That said, I am committed to this project and want to see of through to it's end one way of another. Just how that will work is what we need to work out now.

From the beginning, this was intended to be a collaborative project, and we feel some of that was lost as the film became more focused towards the screening. What we'd like to suggest is that we throw it out there for you guys to get involved in making segments of the film in your own groups. This way you could choose to film a few scenes, while another group filmed a few scenes in an entirely different locations.

This obviously has issues in terms of our actors, as they can't be running around the globe to be in all of the segments, so what we are suggesting is that if you are in a location other than London (which is most of you) you could use local actors and talent to play the roles, then make it clear in the edit who's playing who. This way the story we have could be told through a true collaborative project, with anyone who wants to getting involved. You be the Producer. You be the Director.

There are a number of ways to do this, but the way pete and I felt it would work best as a collaborative international internet project is for the script to be split up into 'segments' and for each of those segments to effectively become separate film projects, each with their own producer, organising everything from cameras to sfx, makeup, props, location etc through to editing. Also possibly cast depending on location.

This was we can ensure asmany people who want to work on the project, CAN work on it, which is something that has been difficult to ensure up til now.

There has never been any shortage in people wanting to work on the creative aspect of the film, in direction, acting, sfx etcetc, but what we seriously need now are organizational people- people who have the skill to organize people, locations, time tables, editing schedules and so on. It is a rewarding job, but a tough one none the less, and both I and pete can't continue giving so much of ourselves to this project in this way.

So what we now need to find are people to head up these teams- producers.
We will still help people with the project in whatever way may be needed, and give all the contact details of any useful people, locations, etc etc, but these producers need to me able to get on and work independently of us- setting dates times and places off their own back and ensuring that people are going to stick to them. You need to be resilient to the many setbacks and missing people and location screw ups and the myriad other things that will in one way or other tax your resources. It's a tough job, but at the same time, when it comes together, which it does one way or another, you can sit back and watch something you made happen happen. It's very akin to giving birth! With the same pain-that-is-hard-leading-to-amazing-joy-of-creation.

So there we have it. Do you want to continue the legacy of the Internet project? Be part of an actual world first? Be on imdb*?

*maybe, I need to get on that!

So what the plan is, here, is that the characters of Ben, Abbey, Ethan, etc, will be played by different people across the world? With all respect, that would merely confuse the audience, surely? We have to bear in mind the aspect of Gus, Angela and Eric, who would constantly be in contact with them throughout - would they change too? I can see how much of the "collaborative" aspect is trying to be put into action, here, but we have to remember that the German crew, as far as I am aware, hadn't even got a full cast and crew.
I'm up for the film "breaking the boundaries", being a New Wave film, to an extent, but changing the actors every 20 minutes or so would leave the viewers connecting and disconnecting with the characters on screen, its like the new Mummy film, they didnt have Rachel Weisz playing the main female lead and was replaced, and the critics were in an uproar. What makes matters worse is that this movie is going to be about 90 or so minutes, right? So in that time we are going to have to clearly distinguish the settings and the people are in the same area. Also, the is set in London, England - left handed cars, unique street signs and famous locations, we would have to ensure that we try to make sure that every detail is perfect to stop the confusion spreading on where the hell the characters actually are. The movie is about them trying to escape London, so why would we film anywhere else?

The way I see it, if we wanted to ensure more people across the world got to act in this thing, we would have to revise the script and change it to allow such a thing. This wouldn't be much, have more characters replacing Vlog sequences, for example, but then we'd be going over the desired length of the overall script. However, there's always the option of sequels, lengthening the script, including more characters and then split the movie in two, but that would require far more filming and I doubt many people would be up for that.

I'm up for getting more people involved in the project, but there must be a more effective way of doing it rather than just cutting the script into chunks and handing them out to different crews that could have very different filming techniques.

I think realistically that even if the style/tempo/feel etc changes from segment to segment the actors should stay the same, people have travelled to london so far, and the vlogs are a perfect way for people who can't to get involved.

There will always need to be a balance between keeping the collaborative feel going and actually producing something watchable, at some point everyone needs to decide which is more important.

maybe we can shorten our version of the script down to a mini story..get rid of a lot of 'details'
then we can use the same actors..
but there could be like..say 3 or 4 stories that make up the film. each story could be scripted and filmed etc by a separate group of people.
the [we'll call it 'london story'] can be filmed here with the actors we used and paperlilies and the rest can help more on this story.
the other stories can be maybe whored out?

a la 'four rooms' or 'sin city' or sthng..

i'm just thinking out loud

Mini stories would have been a really good idea had this been July.

Bryony, when you say four months of your life, are you including the two months you disappeared and did nothing as far as anyone involved can tell?

LOLZ.

"As far as I personally am concerned, I can't continue working on the film in the same capacity as I have been- this film has been the focus of most of my time and energy over the past 4 months and I just can't continue devoting so much of my efforts to it."



wow.
the audacity of that statement is pretty incredible.

wirrow wrote:maybe we can shorten our version of the script down to a mini story..get rid of a lot of 'details'
then we can use the same actors..
but there could be like..say 3 or 4 stories that make up the film. each story could be scripted and filmed etc by a separate group of people.
the [we'll call it 'london story'] can be filmed here with the actors we used and paperlilies and the rest can help more on this story.
the other stories can be maybe whored out?

a la 'four rooms' or 'sin city' or sthng..

i'm just thinking out loud

After the shit we have gone through already with the script we'd basically screw it up and throw it out the window?
I disagree with that completely.

Look, we've already got a script. It's been selected to be used (without a vote) and now Bryony wants to redo the entire thing?

Why the hell dont you just film it as it is and allow more collboration in a new project?
Frankly this is ridiculous, we can simply end it sooner this way. And I dont see a deadline for the final movie to be out. At this rate it'll just turn into a big pile of what is technically called; "CBA". It's cos the BBC have finished their work, hasnt it?

Well all I can say is that we'll be losing far more interest if we hold it back any longer. The script's been selected. You have a cast. We have Vlogs. Why on earth do you want to change it all now? I've been raising this issue in my past vents - that theres not enough inclusion of other countries and too much of London - but that was basically ignored and we pressed on with the main story in England. So now you're turning BACK to that theory?

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR, its as though this whole place can't make up its mind.

This is something Bryony and I talked about together, so I figure I should drop in on this one.

The reason we're suggesting an idea which is clearly not ideal is because for many people, interest in this project has waned significantly after the screening. The effort we had to put in to produce something watchable for the screening was huge, I barely saw my wife for two weeks and really came home only to sleep. To finish the film in the manner in which it currently exists would take that ten times over, and that's not something I'm willing to do.

This post has been up for a few days now, and the only people who have responded have been you guys, the writers. All of whom, I believe, have previously quit the project. If this project is to continue, then it needs to be put into the hands of people who have the passion for it. That isn't me anymore, and I don't think it's Bryony either.

So we're opening it up to try and do just that. You guys have been pretty negative for quite a while now and I know you have your reasons, but the fact is the film as we have it will not happen unless people are willing to put in the effort. I think you drastically underestimate just how much effort it takes to make something like this come together in a way that's remotely watchable.

If you want it, it's yours. Come down to London, produce it, direct it.
If nobody does, we'll celebrate what we acheived and move on.

Herein lies the flaw with any 'leaderless' project, which is the basis of a truly collaborative effort. People say they want to put the work in, but when the time comes to do it, catching a train is too much effort, or when something doesn't go their way, they have a strop and 'quit' (except when they come back to moan some more).

Is anyone left willing to put the time and effort into shooting the old script? Or even an adjusted one? My offer of 'tell me when and where and i'll be there' still stands.

If the main script HAS to be divided out, how about, instead of each film group using the same character names, they choose new names for each new group of actors. The idea being that the same inter-personal/human-V-zombie story is being played out all over the world in different places to different people who find themselves in identical circumstances. New names, new faces, new location, same story, just further along the common plot.
A provision being that the groups don't ape each other exactly... they use their own styles/locations/sfx/change the char genders/names/etc as desired but keep the current storyline as-is. Each segment being at the next stage along this "universal" plotline. It might be just poetic enough to work???

The most effective element of the screened material was the intercutting of the vlogs, IMHO. I think the target audience would certainly be willing and savvy enough to pick up each segment as being related yet separate. But importantly NOT using new actors trying to pretend to be the same people in the same place when it obviously wouldn't be.

A post-film exercise for eventual viewers would be be work out what happened to the cast members of each segment based on what they saw happen to the group who actually appeared in the final segment they see. [ie genders and languages may have changed a few times during the film!! Maybe it's obvious who transforms into who and maybe it isn't (the weapons they carry would be an good clue though) :-D ]

XOR wrote:If the main script HAS to be divided out, how about, instead of each film group using the same character names, they choose new names for each new group of actors. The idea being that the same inter-personal/human-V-zombie story is being played out all over the world in different places to different people who find themselves in identical circumstances. New names, new faces, new location, same story, just further along the common plot.
A provision being that the groups don't ape each other exactly... they use their own styles/locations/sfx/change the char genders/names/etc as desired but keep the current storyline as-is. Each segment being at the next stage along this "universal" plotline. It might be just poetic enough to work??? ]

Exactly what I was thinking too. The best plan for finishing this film. It would be nice to film the actors in some scenes again though, they were great.

Thanks James.
I'd be up for being in more scenes- in fact I want to be so I can prove my worth.

I said on my facebook status I was disappointed with the BBC three doc and that was because it gave the impression that we were all going to carry on when we aren't. So I felt sad basically.

Perhaps 2 projects would work, one with the already cast actors working on the existing script, and one with different teams? When it comes to the actual filming of a movie i haven't a clue but my skill have always been in organisation, i'd be happy to take on a role in getting people organised if asked (note; if asked, i'm not trying to steal anyone's thunder!)

Hi all. As a quantifier for what I will say, here's my IMDB...
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2181244/

I attended the screening with a friend that did CGI and Post Production, and I was really impressed that so much had been done (and told many of you that).

With all love and respect for everything that has been done... returning this to a leaderless collaboration will kill it. It will never finish. Period. And from a personal perspective, having different actors play the same character will do just as much damage as leaderless collaboration.

In short, someone needs to take the reins and carry on with existing writing/storyboard/resources.

To would-be directors, a word of advice, from plenty of experience, especially in regards to a couple of statements that have been said above...

The effort we had to put in to produce something watchable for the screening was huge, I barely saw my wife for two weeks and really came home only to sleep. To finish the film in the manner in which it currently exists would take that ten times over, and that's not something I'm willing to do.

This is film-making. Especially feature length film making. I have spent months on miniscule details. Months. I have worked myself sick. And at one former place of employ, I hold the record for the longest consecutive shift (52 hours, non-stop).
As the former leaders of this project have learned and voiced, it takes your passion and your time. It is not a part time job or side project.

(And I have a wife and baby boy, lest anyone accuse me of simply being young and unbridled. The industry doesn't care if you have a family. You throw yourself on the altar of creativity and try to save as much of the remains as possible for those you care about.)

Finally, in consulting my friend who worked on WWD, I ask myself why I'm posting this, and the only answer I can think of is this.
I wanted (and want) to be involved in this, help where I can, etc. And it is unlikely that anyone will be able to help with anything if some very hard facts about the process aren't faced.

All the best, and I sincerely hope to see this project benefit from the BBC coverage right through to completion, perhaps by next Halloween or the year after.

The script was written and approved by Bryony and co.
Bryony knew what layout she wanted from the start and the scriptwriters formed the story around it. One main story and side-stories branching out. Now, apparently, the layout has to be changed. You can't simply change the foundation of the story and hope the script will remain good - far from it, you'd have to effectively start all over again, from the start - and the preproduction work would have been, effectively, a waste of time.
With this in mind it's either going to have to be:
1 = Finish the Film as it is.
2 = Let it die uncompleted.
I'd be willing to help out filming on-set, but my lack of film making experience would have an effect. It all comes down to who is prepared to spend a lot of weekends in london, filming.
As alamo has posted below me, this will be the most troublesome issue. However, it can be a priceless experience for a film-student - a valuable assett on a C.V and, overall, an unforgettable learning curb.

So I guess from here-on-in, it's going to be a matter of finding out who would be able to donate their time to this thing. If a member of the cast cant stick to it, recast someone in the role. If a crew member cant make all of the filming sessions, find replacements for the times when s/he cant be there.
It's either that or we euthanise baby IZM.



(Hehe, I like that. Euthanise baby IZM. Heh.)