Fin

The movie is complete, a wrap, all in, all over, brought about, brought to pass, buttoned up, compassed, concluded, consummated, depleted, drained, effected, effete, executed, exhausted, fixed, fulfilled, over, perfected, terminated, through, wired, and even wrought. Wanna see it? You have 3 Options:

1) Wait for it to come to a film festival near you. Pretty risky.
2) Purchase a DVD straight from me! I've included commentary and even a bonus film, never before seen, about a whale. Sweet deal!
3) The Zinema 2 Arthouse Cinema in Duluth, MN is hosting the World Public Premiere in two screenings Jun. 11, 2013. Admission is $8. I'll be making a triumphant MN return to present it along with some of my previous work. This is a great opportunity to say hello or kick me in the nards. Given the press the film received during production, I expect a sell out. Tickets are going through the Zinema http://www.zeitgeistarts.com/zinema-2/tickets. For my local friends, I'm working on getting something setup.

I hope Duluthians will like it. I'm less concerned with how the town is presented and more so, will they dig a 17 min plotless art film? Early feedback is that Duluth just comes off as cold and not terribly dissimilar to anywhere else. This was on purpose to begin with, but I just couldn't say no to that title. After watching the film, I urge you to find a better name.

If you were a Kickstarter backer, you'll be getting your swag by next week. If you weren't, I'm already working on a new project that you can donate to! I'm looking to upset the classical music/high art world this time.

Til then,
VG

A Taste Of Horrible

Here's the trailer. It plays up the melancholic side of the film but I figured it was better to go in as a drama and get a few laughs, then expect a comedy and not laugh very much. Erik Satie makes it all gloomy. The film itself is about one or two sound mixes away from completion, then over to the DVD printing company for Kickstarter send-offs! You can also pre-order a DVD too if you weren't a backer or involved in the film. DVD will have commentary and a never before seen bonus film about a whale! Hot dog!

I'll start sending to film festivals and trying to organize a screening in Duluth too. I look forward to another round of public outcry! Can you dig it man?





  

The Post Edit Introspection

"Duluth Is Horrible" is getting the sound worked on as we speak. It has been color corrected, credits added (that's YOU Kickstarter backer!), dvd designed, and getting some small compositing work done next week. For all intents and purposes, it's done. I sent the roughcut to about 10 or so trusted colleagues. Friends perhaps, but friends I trust will tell me when something is shit. Friends far more critical than any normal person. Feedback is largely positive and a few have mentioned it's the best thing I've ever done. I'm certainly proud of it and pretty happy with the results. It probably is the best thing I've done so far (well, excluding this magic).

What I find interesting, & also somewhat frustrating, is the lack of consensus on feedback. What others dislike, others like. This person says cut the bench scene. This other person says the bench scene is essential. Who's right? Everybody brings their own bias to the table which hopefully at least gets me to think about other methods. Sometimes I make changes. Sometimes I don't. Ultimately it has to be the film I want to make, especially when I put my money into it. The personal goals of my films are more on the artsy side. I'm less interested in traditional narratives, less interested in giving all the answers, and less interested in "the rules."

THAT SAID, lately I've been wondering how can I keep this up? My goals are to make movies & music full time and live more or less comfortably doing so. I think that's most artists goals. I could probably cut "Duluth" a little different and make it a bit more mainstream. It sounds unappealing but I cannot help but wonder if I did, would it help get me farther along in life/career. I've done plenty of corporate work for others where I will gladly do whatever, but when it's my own personal projects, I feel conflicted. I don't think of it as a hobby. I write it off on taxes. But are art films a business? Godard should not be taught in film schools. 

My films may not make money but hey, I'm a critical darling of the Faux Film Festival in Portland, OR where I'll be tomorrow night. Nothing like the Pacific Northwest for a good career crisis! I'll be showing my 30 minute parody film, KNFR From 7:00-7:30, to a room of saucy Portland strangers. Let's see where the adventure continues!

A Little Off The Sides & Back

I believe I have a roughcut of the film. I'll be sending it out to the Duluth Is Horrible Advisory Committee tomorrow for their feedback. It's a tricky edit trying to blend the funny and not funny parts. Maybe I got it. The film should make you feel all the emotions - funny, sad, need to take a shower, etc. Assuming the film needs no big changes, I'll be then sending it off for some post work: sound design, color correction, effects. And yes, there are effects but hopefully you don't even notice where they were. Film should be done in April as I promised on Kickstarter. Those wondering how to get on the Duluth Is Horrible Advisory Committee, note that the members were pre-chosen by the head chair, President Barack Obama.

So what else is going on? Well, Duluth editing has taken up most of my free time but in two weeks, I go to Portland, OR for the Faux Film Festival where my previous film, KNFR From 7:00-7:30 will be playing. That film, which contains the infamous "David's Pizza Commercial", will be shown in its entirety. All 30 minutes that I worked so hard on for 2 years shown in front of a live non-friend audience. For those suffering from blog withdrawal, I was going to write about my experiences for my 3 days there.

I'm also writing my next film. I have another fairly complex short in me before tackling another feature. Early signs show lots of glorified extra roles. So get excited San Francisco actors!! I was even considering shooting a little of it when I make my return visit to Duluth for the screening. Whenever that is.

The moral of all this is: Blog posts were better when I was doing more than just staring at a computer. But this is where the film really gets made. So please excuse my tedium.

One Week Later

It's been a week since Duluth and I've been in a bit of a funk. Not that I fell in love with the town per se but more with the experience. New sights! New people! New films! Slowly getting accustomed back to SF life, which is all terribly familiar. Admittedly, I haven't got around to much editing. Don't worry Kickstarter backers. It'll get done by the expected deadline. I designed the film to be a quick edit. Most scenes have little cuts and I just have to sit down to crank it out. I'm thinking a beer, carrot, editing marathon tomorrow night. Yes, carrots. Editing is unsexy but it's where the movie really gets made. It's where I can control YOUR emotions.

This last Sunday & Tuesday, my "Muppetless Movie" played at the SF Indiefest. A decent appreciation. It played in a grab bag of local shorts. As usual with my films, it's over before you have any idea what the hell you just watched. (I'm all about repeated viewings!) I did a Q&A both times & got to throw in some silly jokes. When asked how people can follow me, I mentioned they should just walk behind me when I leave. I also gave my address and said my door was open to any ladies who wanted to watch some rare Muppet tapes. Oh public persona me. Maybe I got used to the attention in Duluth, but I was a little jealous when I saw the other filmmakers with huge globs of friends there. On Sunday's screening, I had two friends & a chicken show up. I get the film has been online for a while and seen by most, but it did feel weird after getting so much recent praise to be standing there alone by my giant Muppetless poster, expecting celebration but merely getting back on the bus home. Is this how Coolio felt after Gangsta's Paradise dried up? Fame is a fickle mistress.

All this said, I gave one more interview this morning to a writer at San Francisco Magazine. Except it wasn't about me at all, but more about my Oscar picks. He wanted to know what San Francisco filmmakers would choose vs. the academy. As I've seen almost none of the nominated films, I felt a bit like a sham bullshitting answers. I argued that the best film I'd seen was "It's Such A Beautiful Day" & was pissed it wasn't even nominated for Best Animated Film.

Before I left Duluth and to fit some newly acquired items in my suitcase, I gave away some of my "famous" winter clothes to the homeless. I still have my parka if anyone wants to buy it. I've been significantly colder in SF, mostly because I am underdressed everywhere vs. Duluth where I wore everything including the bed sheets. For those wondering about the Duluth Goodwill VHS tapes I bought, I've watched them all. By far the highlight was the Bible Sing-A-Long tape. If you're a Christian, that tape will make you an atheist. Watch kids who can't sing, can't act, can't dance, and who may actually be 32 and suffer from some aging disease sing about the animals on Noah's ark. You may even sell your soul to the devil just to turn the tape off. I think it may even surpass my copy of "Don Cooper's Musical Games" as the most troubling vhs I own.

I've already started thinking about the next film project. I think I'll piss off the classical music world this time.

DAY 18: Granny Panties

They call soda "pop" here. I tried something called Mello Yello. It tastes like the result of a lemon & Mountain Dew having sex.

An hour or so ago, I had a drink with Alex Gutterman. He's directing the feature film in town, "In Winter." Nice guy and I appreciate him cutting the small talk and go straight for the philosophical discussion about why we do what we do. I said there was obviously something wrong with us to devote our lives to this medium. He projects a Nov/Dec 2013 release date on his film. Both films deal with similar topics - love, lost, animal songs - well, maybe I'm just doing the animal songs. It might be neat for my film to be the short subject before his feature. A whole film program of depressed cold people!

Got a few more random shots of Duluth today and made my ex-apartment clean & tidy. A few hours were devoted to figuring out how the hell I got my microphone stand in my suitcase. Traveling today was sponsored by the good samaritans who rescued my car from the snow fort that developed in the recent blizzard. This niceness continues to astound & upset. With my last day here, I figured it's finally time to get some souvenirs. Therefore, a trip to the store "I Love Duluth" seemed promising. While the word Duluth was everywhere, I was highly disappointed in your regional merch. It seems Duluth is in denial about its winter. Not a damn thing featuring snow or cold or anything. The store made Duluth look like a Hawaiian resort. The beer openers & magnets all had Amazonian frogs & Aborigine figurines. I finally settled on the two least lame mugs they had. And seriously, why even bother with Superior merchandise. That mansion ain't all that.

Well folks, this completes my Duluthian experience. Tomorrow morning, I'm driving back to Minneapolis on a plane back to Orlando San Francisco. I truly had a great time here and I certainly will remember it always. It was a small adventure but an adventure nonetheless and I hope to have a kick-ass film as the result. Stay tuned folks. The story's not over, just inconsistent. I hope you've enjoyed reading. I've enjoyed being an unreliable narrator. See ya round Duluth!

"Duluth is....I don't know" Lisa Luokkala   

DAY 17: The Beginning Of The Ending Of The Whole Shabang

I leave Wednesday, just when I started to get used to it all. It's going to be weird not wearing 12 pounds of pants. My car is currently surrounded by snow. Not exactly sure what to do about that. I have till Wednesday morning to figure it out. Due to it's condition, I took the bus over to the University of Minnesota Duluth for my last scheduled interview. Take a listen. The bus was on time and quick. I give my brief experience with Duluth Transit the Thumbs Up and I'm sorry for putting all my coins in at one time and clogging it up.

I was treated to lunch by my friend Deven who took me up the shore to the New Scenic Cafe. Delicious but we ordered far too much. The best part was the hot chocolate in giant steins. Go there for that at least. Also, at the end of the meal, they give you a little book where you can write your thoughts. Naturally, I wrote "Duluth Is Horrible" and signed it. I also came across the best piece of poetry I've seen here, ripped it out from the book, and am now going to transcribe it for you:

"Well here we are 9:16
What day is it?
LET'S GO SWIMMING WITHOUT OUR CLOTHES
Yes, I have three chickens; Penny, Juama, and Big Bad Blackpants.
I call them "big dummies" and "dumb animals" about 63 times a day.
WE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT THE FAKE "WOOD BURNING STOVE" AT NORTHSHORE COTTAGES
When you see a deer, it feels like it was there just for you
And everything's going to be OK.
YES FISH DO HAVE BONES
The artwork is not by seven & eight year olds. 
Like and I'm not even like an art major OMG
WE LOVE YOU NO MATTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE. WE ALWAYS WILL."
- Chuck Chuck Bo Buck Banana Fanna Fo 2/10/13

Tonight is my official last night in my apartment. I'm kicked out tomorrow. I will the miss flower chair, the portrait of Jesus by the toilet, the free cereal, and the mysterious Channel 117. I asked the owner what it was and she said she was a pro domina and to torture her clients, she ties them up and makes them watch it. That explains the gimp chained up behind her clothes in the closet. Doesn't seem to make much sense to let him loose now.

With tomorrow's last day in Duluth also comes tomorrow's last official blog post. I will keep up writing as necessary, occasionally writing "Yep, I edited today. It looks ok." I know a few of you have become obsessed with the mundane details of my life and I'm sorry I won't be filling you in on those notes back in California. Considering doing an audiobook of this blog, might be a nice compliment to the film to include on the DVD. (It's only 20 minutes. Might as well fill the damn thing up.). It's only 5:41p, there is still some trouble I could get into before I leave...