Since
the advent of digital video in the mid-90's, everybody from high school janitors
to 10-year old children have had the opportunity to write and direct their own
movies. Many high-profile directors, including Spike Lee and Steven Soderbergh,
have utilized the technology on projects that might not have happened without
it. The problem is, now that every Tarantino wannabe can pick up a camera and
press record, most DV films lack satisfying technical aspects. Not many DV-shot
shorts/features seem concerned with certain factors of filmmaking -- factors
such as the framing of shots and making sure those shots cut together in a
thoughtful manner, not to mention competent storytelling.
The finished product of director Jamie Stuart's new short film, 3200 K,
impressed me -- and not just because I served as the assistant director. Shot
for $50 within the span of four days (including two days of re-shoots), the
film's plot is simple: it's about a pivotal day in the life of a battered woman
who lives in fear of the man she supposedly loves. The short film, which runs
just under 20-minutes, contains an original score, elaborate shot setups, and
even the voice of President Bush addressing the nation in the background.
Being as 3200 K was the first short film Jamie shot entirely on DV, I
asked him to talk a bit about the camera and its effects on the project. "I
used DV partially on my last short (Triumph of the Will, Part II), but
that was out of financial necessity", said Stuart. "Here, it was
inherent. But I was very conscious of not wanting to shoot it like most people
do with DV -- using a sort of crappy documentary style. I didn't want it to look
cheap or amateurish. The camera style is really tight and intentional. I wanted
to prove that I could tell a story and make it look good no matter what the
circumstances were."
From the wide grin plastered on his face, I was able to see just how proud Jamie
is of his latest. "I'm completely content with it. I say that with both
experience from my previous shorts and knowing what to expect from the shooting
circumstances. Considering that this entire film cost only $50 -- from shooting
through post production, including editing, sound design and scoring -- I'm
totally content that I accomplished what I set out to create."
He elaborates, “When I was younger, making my first 16mm shorts as a teen, I
was always embarrassed by their lack of technical polish. Even though I’d
storyboard ‘em and everything, I couldn’t understand why they weren’t as
slick as say...David Fincher’s videos. Nevermind that I was shooting in 16mm
with no money, non-professional actors and usually acting in them and shooting
them at the same time. I’d set up the shots, start the camera, run in front,
act the scene, then run back and stop the camera. It’s astonishing that it
wasn’t as polished as Fincher! Here, I shot it in a 16:9 format, because I
wanted it to look more like film. I wanted to take advantage of the widescreen
compositions. Also, because it was shot entirely with natural light -- 95% is
sunlight, the rest is electric and the 2 colors contrast each other -- it looked
beautiful. The low light levels gave us a bit of grain, which I liked. It made
it look more like film, whereas a lot of things shot in DV have a very
artificial digital sheen to them.”
Actors Holt Bailey and Alison Blanche Mayer, who play the abuser and the abused,
respectively, realize how much effort Jamie and composer Mario Mazzoli invested
in 3200 K. "Those guys put a lot into it", said Bailey, an
actor held in high-regard by Stuart. ("Holt was great. If you met him,
you'd never suspect he could play this role. He specializes in comedy. Here,
he's just a cold bastard.")
Considering he's been working predominantly in comedic roles, Bailey relished
the idea of playing a dark and dramatic role: "It was different. It was
great. When I was in school I did all drama. A lot of Shakespeare. Things like
that. Since school I've been doing comedy. It's always great to get cast as a
guy who doesn't have much of a sense of humor. Maybe a sick one. I'm not the
most menacing looking person. So, it's neat for me to play this type of
character, cause I can add a little bit of sensitivity. He's not just some brute
or something."
Ms. Mayer stepped in to save the project after the original actress bowed out.
According to Jamie, “I had never met Alison before she showed up the first day
of shooting. I was stuck with her no matter how she turned out. She luckily
turned out great. She’s really enthusiastic and hardworking. She went out of
her way on multiple occasions.”
Alison was surprised after watching the finished film. Her initial reaction:
“Well, Jamie and Mario definitely worked their asses off.”
She continues, "A lot of things were done very simply and a bunch of times,
so now that it's tied together it's interesting to see what those moments are
like. It's really interesting how the news is always is part of it -- always
going on inside the house. It's a numbing effect. I didn't know that was going
to be a part of it. But I really liked that."
Sound was crucial to the short. To record the dialogue, the filmmakers didn't
settle on the standard routine of using the camera’s built-in microphone.
"Because my roommate, Mario, is a composer and has sound equipment and Pro
Tools, we were able to foley in all of the individual sounds and record all of
the dialogue with a good mic separate from the camera. Most DV films record the
sound using the mic that's attached to the camera, so you can hear the sound
changing from shot to shot -- the varying distances. We were also able to do ADR.
Using Pro Tools we created semi-professional stereo sound design. I love
tweaking sound. I drove Mario crazy! I kept having him adjust levels and panning
them from left to right."
At first, Jamie was somewhat apprehensive about allowing anyone to compose the
music. He’d never worked with an original score before. What if the director
wasn't pleased with the tunes? He couldn't just fire the composer. After all, he
and Mazzoli live under the same roof. "It took us a bit to get started. One
thing I knew from the beginning was that I didn't want the music to give
anything away. I wanted each moment to exist unto itself, totally unaware of
what was coming next", explained Jamie. "That was a veryconscious
choice. Instead of creating a clear path, you wind up with a lot of shifting
gears. That was hard for Mario, cause normally you set up certain melodic themes
-- things to foreshadow -- and I wasn't letting him do that. It was really
unconventional. His first few attempts were either too suspenseful or
melancholy. At one point we discussed using blues as a counterpoint, but he
hated that cause it wasn't a specialty of his. He ultimately discovered
something that worked."
Jamie continues to compliment his composer: "I still remember the first
time he showed me a scene with some music -- and he had found beats within the
scene that I hadn't even noticed, and beautifully underscored them. It was like
a night and day difference. He totally added another layer that I hadn't
anticipated."
Looking back, Mario, an Italian-born composer, has this to say on the
experience: "It was fun, actually. I never expected it would take so long
for me to record and foley in all of the sounds. But I thought it was fun. It
wasn't difficult to do -- it was more difficult to satisfy Jamie as a director
than anything else. In the end he gave me a better idea about movies. It's his
movie, so of course he knows what he wants to say, but it's a demonstration that
it's not always so easy to get right away what a director wants."
Glancing further into his process, Mazzoli continues: "Jamie was always
open to the ideas I presented to him. I had my idea of the movie and wanted to
portray the unorthodoxy of their lives...this nice relationship that from time
to time erupts into violence -- so I wanted to portray this with something that
was disturbing in a sense, but not necessarily too dramatic. But that was
probably giving away too much. At first I was writing sort of atonal music, but
with a slight melodic touch. But Jamie said that was still too dramatic, giving
too much away of what was to come later in the movie. He wanted something
lighter as a counterpoint. Little by little I lightened the music to the point
where he was pleased with the results. That was fun actually. Of course, in the
end it was totally different than what I expected to be doing."
Summing up his feelings on 3200 K, Jamie offers, “3200 K was a
learning experience like everything. No matter how prepared you are, certain
things aren’t going to go as you planned. I’m pretty meticulous. I
storyboard even the dialogue scenes. But I’m also learning the importance of
reshoots. I think the most important thing a director can do when you’re
working with no budget and nobody’s getting paid...you need to get the people
involved really enthusiastic about what they’re working on. It’s the most
important thing. Cause there will ALWAYS be extra shooting. Always. Nothing
I’ve ever done hasn’t required a little extra time -- and I work really
fast! I’ve gotten 100 shots in a single day on some projects. The best way to
empower people is to make them feel like you know what you’re doing and that
the hard work will ultimately pay off.”
Now that this project is finished, Jamie is debating what to do next. “Yeah,
I’m up late at night with body cramps figuring out what to do next. I’m
losing hair and going insane. (laughs) I always feel like I have to top myself
and that the next thing is what’s going to finally break me. I finished 3200
K the same week as my 28th birthday and spent 3 days straight sleeping.
Seriously, I have too many projects. I don’t know what to settle on. I have 10
feature length scripts -- 2 of which I’d consider as first features. Plus I
have a few short scripts and ideas as well. Everything varies by length and
required budget. What’s good is that I have lots to choose from, but the bad
thing is that I’m having a difficult time choosing. I definitely want to shoot
something before the end of the summer. Whatever it is, it’s going to be
really logistically complex. I want to push boundaries. I just got Avid
certified, and I want to do things with digital editing. I also really want to
start experimenting with CG. I have lots of ideas. I’d love to maybe do some
music videos if that came my way. I’m not fucking around.”
As for the future of 3200 K, he’s considering his options -- quite
aware that professional transfers and submissions to film festivals cost money.
And money is something that’s always in short supply. "What I'm really
trying to do with it is get it to professionals I know, establishing a track
record in the hope of getting some work. I'm tired of supporting myself with
part time jobs. It always comes down to this -- it was George Lucas' one-word
advice when I asked him back in January: perseverance."
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT 3200 K, CONTACT THE MUTINY COMPANY.
-Copyright
2003 by Shaun
Sages