Shoot a feature film in one day? Why not?

We successfully got a feature film in the can yesterday.

An entire feature. Shot in one day.

Because of the time constraints it obviously had to be a simple project -- three actors and one location.

But to complicate things, we didn't have a script written going into it. I developed a basic story and characters beforehand with the actors (Marian Brock, Paul Herbig and Mickey Ryan) and the cinematographer (Alan McIntyre Smith). Dialogue was improvised, and we shot the movie in sequence so we could write as we went, stopping before each scene or sequence to figure out what needed to happen next.

We shot at Alan's apartment.

Alan had another self-imposed challenge: he wanted to go the entire day without using a single light. This led him to make some interesting decisions. For example, for the last scene, the sun had set, so in order to illuminate the location enough that we could see the actors' faces, Alan decided to light about 25 candles and use a slow shutter speed on the camera. This gave this scene, our only handheld shot in the movie, a completely magical quality that worked perfectly with the subject matter.

Obviously an entirely improvised movie will be a challenge to edit. And while we have enough footage to make a full feature-length film, I may find that it is better in a 30-40 minute version. We'll see once I start cutting.

I will say that I was really impressed by the willingness of the actors and cinematographer to really throw themselves into such a crazy idea. The actors especially were fearless in putting themselves on the line and making fully committed choices. They really gave up their egos to the service of the project, which is a really rare quality in an actor, even actors as talented and experienced as these.

We had a pretty short day to get everything done. Two of the actors had a job last night and we wanted to complete the shoot before Alan's fiancée came home from work. So we spent 11 hours, from 7am to 6pm, including lunch, to shoot.

Alan and I have a long working relationship, and I've also worked regularly with Mickey and have known Paul and Marian for several years. This was a major element which helped make it possible for us to pull this together in such a short time. Not to mention that my four collaborators are really amazing at what they do.

Stills are below.

Lincoln Center Directors Lab

I just finished three life-changing weeks at the Lincoln Center Directors Lab. 64 theater directors from around the world gathered to share our experiences and to work together in the basement of Lincoln Center. I met some really fantastic people and made many new friends and future collaborators. I'm still digesting the experience but I'm sure it will affect my creative work and career in an untold number of ways. Here's a picture of us on the first day. I'm the really nervous and intimidated-looking guy in the bottom left of the frame.

Iron Mule at MASS MoCA

Our film festival was invited to screen at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) in North Adams, Massachusetts. We had an amazing time. The museum is really incredible and the space is fantastic. We screened on a huge screen in an outside courtyard. The photos below are courtesy of photographer Craig A. Swinson.

Mighty Five Music Video shoot

I just finished shooting a music video for the band Mighty Five, a project I'm making in collaboration with Alan McIntyre Smith and M. Sweeney Lawless. It's a green screen video that takes place in Outer Space so it's going to take a while to finish post production. Watch this space for updates.

THE AWKWARD KINGS OF COMEDY WORLD PREMIERE

On Saturday we celebrated the World Premiere screening of a movie I produced: The Awkward Kings of Comedy, a comedy concert documentary featuring five alternative African-American comedians. Look for it on TV in 2010 (more on that soon)! www.awkwardkings.com.

First Sundays Screenings in Tallin, Estonia

First Sundays has been invited to screen an evening of short comedy films at the Non Grata Art Container in a former Soviet military installation in Tallin, Estonia. Victor Varnado and I are traveling there tomorrow (October 1st) and will be presenting films on October 3rd, running a low-budget filmmaking workshop on October 4th, and writing and directing a short film starring a member of our audience to be premiered on October 5th. This is First Sundays' European premiere, and our first screening outside of New York City. We're really looking forward to the trip and seeing the other work at the festival. You can find more info here.

The Awkward Kings of Comedy Shoots September 23rd

I am producing a feature with Victor Varnado called The Awkward Kings of Comedy. The film showcases four African-American comics who don't fit into the typical mold of what is marketed as "black" comedy. We'll be taping these four nerdy comics as they perform in front of a live audience on September 23rd. There are two shows, one at 6:00 and one at 8:30. You can make reservations via the movie's website.

I am exceptionally proud of this project and the message of empowerment it makes for smart, funny comedians everywhere who don't fit into an easily marketed category.

The film also includes interviews and animation by NYC cartoonists. We hope to have a festival run and sell the finished project to television and on DVD. Watch this space for updates.