What? Huh? What Do You Mean?

ussinners

ussinners

The making of this movie is almost more bizarre then the plot.

We're shooting a big scene this Saturday, so I e-mail all my actors asking them to ask a friend if they'd like to be in the movie. The friends just have to e-mail me, so I can set a time for them to arrive.

I get an e-mail from Samantha Woodchuck (fake name, but memorable) saying she'd love to be part of it. She attaches a headshot. Since the part is a mid-western girl she tells me "I am midwest. I'm from Indiana". Great. We set a time. She thanks me.

Four hours later, I get an e-mail from Samantha Woodchuck saying she'd love to be part of the movie. Actors are hungry, so I just put it down to be over zealous.

That was a week ago. Today I get an e-mail from Samantha Woodchuck saying she'd love to be part of the movie. She attaches a headshot which is completely different then the first one. So, I e-mail her back and remind her that she's already set, that she told me she's from Indiana..." She e-mails me back. That's not me. I'm from NY.

So, I forward my actor who recommended this person the various e-mails plus the two headshots, and asked for an explanation. I'm not angry, upset, I'm just curious. He writes back "She forgot to send you a headshot the first time". Which makes even less sense then Samantha's denial. I can't wait to meet this girl or girls.
 
I am mentally picturing arriving at the set to find a dozen women, all completely different looking, with vacant, pod-person type stares all saying "I am Samantha Woodchuck. I am midwest." over and over....

Or perhaps an operation to smuggle people into the country illegally, but they're pretty cutrate so they only have a limited number of fake identities, so they re-use them. That two of the countless Samantha Woodchucks have ended up on your set is a coincidence, but pulls you into a vast conspiracy...

Or take it as a comedy, where two women with the very distinctive name of Samantha Woodchuck live very similar lives, but have never met. Occasionally they end up at a job, or at a store where they had preordered a book, to find it has already been claimed (by the other). One day, the tangled web of coincidences converge on a single film set....

Man, great story fuel! You'll DEFINITELY have to let us know who, if anyone, actually shows up!
 
I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure it'll be another notch in the crazy parade that has been making this movie.
This has been one of the least enjoyable artistic experiences of my life.

When I was a kid (13 - 15) I did magic, and I put together a routine based around Mick Ronson's version of Slaughter on 10th Ave. It was a complete disaster. I finished my routine within a minute or so, nothing worked right, and I spent close to 2 minutes putting my gloves on and taking them off. Not a person clapped. I was a kid, and nothing. I'd relive that a million times then relive this film making experience.
 
JoshL said:
I am mentally picturing arriving at the set to find a dozen women, all completely different looking, with vacant, pod-person type stares all saying "I am Samantha Woodchuck. I am midwest." over and over....

Or perhaps an operation to smuggle people into the country illegally, but they're pretty cutrate so they only have a limited number of fake identities, so they re-use them. That two of the countless Samantha Woodchucks have ended up on your set is a coincidence, but pulls you into a vast conspiracy...

Or take it as a comedy, where two women with the very distinctive name of Samantha Woodchuck live very similar lives, but have never met. Occasionally they end up at a job, or at a store where they had preordered a book, to find it has already been claimed (by the other). One day, the tangled web of coincidences converge on a single film set....
Click to expand...

Im optioning all three :lol:
 
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rayw said:
Goodness.
After seeing that I'm now scared to ask if the role involves any nudity.
Click to expand...

When US was refused by two distributors who flat out said "Lack of T&A"... Damn straight this movie is gonna have nudity. :yes: Just enough, so that doesn't happen again.
 
Just for half a serious moment, do mind if we take a sidebar here and follow up on some clarification on the precise objections to the "Lack of T&A" these two (as yet unnamed) distributors had, or more precisely, the two particular agents?

Seriously, that was their hold up?
They wouldn't let you go back and add some T&A pick ups?
WTH happened?
That sounds totally FUBAR (which itself lends the most credibility to the story. Ha! :lol: )
 
rayw said:
Just for half a serious moment, do mind if we take a sidebar here and follow up on some clarification on the precise objections to the "Lack of T&A" these two (as yet unnamed) distributors had, or more precisely, the two particular agents?

Seriously, that was their hold up?
They wouldn't let you go back and add some T&A pick ups?
WTH happened?
That sounds totally FUBAR (which itself lends the most credibility to the story. Ha! :lol: )
Click to expand...

The movie was done. I wouldn't even have considered redoing anything. Cinema Epoch is a distributor I'd actually heard of (in my case that's rare), so I really wanted to be signed by them.

Somewhere I have a copy of the e-mail. It started with "This is the best grindhouse movie that has passed over my desk this year." Then somewhere in the middle is mentioned "But the lack of female T&A and 30fps forces us to have to pass."

Cinema Epoch distributes all the Amatuer Porn Star Killer flicks. They SUCK big time. They're all shot 30fps. They look a thousand time worse then anything in Us Sinners. But, they have T&A and pretty much nothing else.

When we were shooting, my Producer begged me to get some T&A shots. But, I didn't listen. I felt we had enough, especially the ending, that I didn't need any female T&A. I was SO WRONG. The distributor he knows told him pretty much the same thing.

How can you think a movie is "The Best" and not distribute it? But, apparently they know their market. So, this flick is getting T&A plus some lesbian action and anything else I can think of.

It's definitely shallow. But, I think I've incorporated the nudity into situations where it's natural. There's nothing gratuitous.

This is funny and disturbing at the same time. The ending of Us Sinners is shocking, disturbing and incredibly original. It will stay with you FOREVER. You can never erase the action from your mind, and it looks EXCELLENT. It doesn't matter that's it's 30fps. The kill is tops (It's the one thing I am arrogant about. But, it really is that good). Never in history has it been recorded that someone had this done to them till 2009 (after Us Sinners was released). In Russia, a woman came close to doing my ending. It's on the net's list of top 10 psychotic girlfriends of all time. I'd like to believe she saw a torrent of Us Sinners, because it's not something the average person would think of. I've been combing the web trying to find out what her defense was. But, I could never find out. Two reviewers who both hated the movie mentioned the Russian case.

One day, long after I'm dead. U.S. will gain the cult classic status it deserves. Just for the ending. There's lots of sick shit inbetween. But, that ending, that's a kill amongst kill.
 
Unfortunate as well as interesting.

Their 'about' page describes what looks like a fairly accommodating criteria set for U.S.
http://www.cinemaepoch.com/about_us.html

Hmm...

They have their own YT channel as well.

And WTH does 30FPS have sh!t to do with anything?
That's a micky-mouse "save as" issue. Pfft. A non-issue issue. WTH were they talking about?


And is U.S. too "old" for other VOD distributors/buyers to consider?
I'm just learning about VOD, but it appears that films have a shelf life of cut flowers.
But I have zero idea just how strong or weak that age/value correlation really is.

With your current production will you again be approaching CinEp?
It sounds like you're tailoring something just for them.



F######CK MEEEEEEEEE!!!
Who watches this sh!t?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpyUecBM3z4
 
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rayw said:
Unfortunate as well as interesting.

Their 'about' page describes what looks like a fairly accommodating criteria set for U.S.
http://www.cinemaepoch.com/about_us.html

Hmm...

They have their own YT channel as well.

And WTH does 30FPS have sh!t to do with anything?
That's a micky-mouse "save as" issue. Pfft. A non-issue issue. WTH were they talking about?


And is U.S. too "old" for other VOD distributors/buyers to consider?
I'm just learning about VOD, but it appears that films have a shelf life of cut flowers.
But I have zero idea just how strong or weak that age/value correlation really is.

With your current production will you again be approaching CinEp?
It sounds like you're tailoring something just for them.



F######CK MEEEEEEEEE!!!
Who watches this sh!t?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpyUecBM3z4
Click to expand...

Nothing surprises me anymore. Seriously, the US (as well as the rest of the world) value on entertainment sinks lower each passing youtube upload.

The President of CE and I have had quite a few e-mail chats. A tit shot is GOLD. But, we are talking no-name cinema. If my memory is not too fuzzy (god I have alzheimers) I think the 30fps has to do with selling overseas. What it has to do with that, I don't know. Some people who really love Us Sinners are from England. They bought the US DVD. So, I don't know. But, I do believe he wouldn't have started his rejection letter with "This is the best..." if he didn't truly believe it. Our future conversations only reinforced that. I have high hopes for Leading Lady, because all the crap I learned from making Us Sinners I've incorporated into this movie. I'm hoping for better distribution for this. CE is on the list. But, my friend's distributor is even higher. He has an in with the President, who has an in with Lionsgate and Anchor. I'm not tailoring it for CE. But, my Producer and these two distributors plus numerous reviewers mentioned the lack of T&A (yes reviewers too). I don't like it, but if it gets the movie sold, and the actors don't mind, I'm game.

You know when you're watching a movie and there's nudity when there shouldn't be? With Leading Lady, all the nudity is where it should be. It's all very natural and hopefully tasteful.
 
Let me take a stab at this.
30fps is best for on-line views. Not going into tech details, but it is better than 24 is all I will say :)
 
p38 said:
Let me take a stab at this.
30fps is best for on-line views. Not going into tech details, but it is better than 24 is all I will say :)
Click to expand...

I'll just say this. If I'm not mistaken (that'd be a first) the first popular digital movie to be released was Pieces Of April. It has a definite video look, but the movie is so good that you don't care.

30fps/24fps film/video a well made movie will find an audience. It might not make money (sucks), but people will find it.

It's the T&A. Porn baby Porn.
 
I worked for a direct-to-video prodCo/distributor for many years.
The owner had four criteria: exactly 80 minutes (with credits),
three scenes with nudity, two action scenes and in focus.

He didn't care about the story or the lighting or the audio. This
was back in the day of DVD/video stores so he needed an attractive
woman he could put on the front cover and on the back cover a
tease that she was going to take off her clothes and be threatened.

I was shooting Hi8 and editing on Betacam SP. Just about the best,
format at the time. He saw a movie shot on SVHS and immediatly
wanted all his movies shot on that format. Wouldn't even look as at
a movie shot on anything else. A friend of mine owned a SVHS camera
so I would borrow it, shoot some stills and little BTS footage showing
that camera - and continue shooting Hi8.

Epoch has their specific needs. This is quite typical with small distributors.
they figure out what they can sell and what they personally feel is
important and look for movies that full that. It makes no sense - but
there is no reasoning with them, is there?
 
directorik said:
I worked for a direct-to-video prodCo/distributor for many years.
Click to expand...

Any movies we would have heard of?

directorik said:
It makes no sense - but
there is no reasoning with them, is there?
Click to expand...

It's not even worth trying. He was actually a pretty nice guy via e-mail. I had a bunch of distribution offers and finally settled on American Horrors. I knew I wasn't going to get any money from any of them. But, Fisher has passion and he's new to distributing. So, there's a better chance of him stumbling into something, then someone who has an established trade and isn't interested in growing.

That saying is TRUE... Sex Sells. It's what drives 99.99% of men, and 80% of women.
 
Today was the day that one, two or no Samantha Woodchuck would come to perform.

I put up a sign in sheet, and sure enough there were two actresses sitting in the hallway and Samantna (the real first name is much more unique) was signed in and sitting there. So I say "Samantha you're next". Samantha points to me and says "she was here first." But the other girl hadn't even signed in. So, I asked the girl what her name was, and it was Samantha. TWO Samantha Woodchuck's were sitting in the lobby next to each other. They did not know each other, were not related, and didn't seem too surprised that they shared a most uncommon and unique name.

Everyone inside knew the story, so they couldn't wait to meet this psycho chick. Were they shocked when I brought them both in and introduced them.

My actor who recommended Samantha sent me an e-mail stating he would come to support his friend and nothing else (that made the rest of the cast so happy). He showed up after the first Samantha had left. But, we got a photo of the two Samantha's together. He only knew one of them.

Apparently, he types out his e-mail addresses and sent the e-mail to two Samantha Woodchucks. Some stranger who just happens to want to act is going to have a line in the movie, by the luck of samantha.woodchuck.
 
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