New York Stories (Martin Scorsese, Francis Coppola, Woody Allen)
New York? Scorsese? Coppola? and Allen? Oh my…
A middle-aged artist obsessed with his young assistant, a precocious 12 year old, and a neurotic lawyer with a possessive mother make up three separate, but great New York City tales…
Read more off the New York Times and watch off Amazon!
“Sound is just as important as picture and vice versa. They should be treated as equals. Sound is an art in itself and you can tell when it is done well.”
Leah Shore on animation as a medium and the importance of sound…
Honey Wagon Confidential: You put a lot of emphasis on sound in your work, especially in your earlier work like Boobatary. Why do you feel that sound is so intrinsic to a film? What do you consider when making decisions regarding sound?
Leah Shore: Sound is just as important as picture and vice versa. They should be treated as equals. Sound is an art in its self and you can tell when it is done well. I prefer to make my own sound/help with the mixing process. My composer, Fritz Myers is a very talented musician and mixer and we sometimes even make music together.
HWC: Your recent short film, Old Man, revolves around Charles Manson. What type of research went into this and how did you go about weaving this information into a film?
LS: First of all, the audio you are listening to is my obsessively edited version of the audio. I was given access to hours of phone conversations between Marlin Marynick and Charles Manson. It took me about three months to edit it down to the five minute version you are listening to. It is a logical thought that makes sense to me and ends perfectly: Manson going to get some mail and walking away.
I purposefully did not research Manson too much. I wanted to reflect on the audio alone and try not to judge him. I wanted to make something that was raw and wasn’t like any other Manson-themed films.
HWC: Where did the inspiration for Old Man come from?
LS: I was fortunate to have my undergrad thesis Meatwaffle compete at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010. There, I met Producer/Entrepreneur Chris Barrett. He came up to me and said, “I saw your film. It was awesome. I know someone who is friends with Charles Manson and I think you two should make a film.” Then, I was introduced to Marlin Marynick. We hit it off as friends and collaborators. I was also introduced to my EP, Carl D’Andre, without whom I wouldn’t have been able to make the film.
HWC: Do you feel animation offers anything that other mediums don’t?
LS: I just think it is a different medium in which we can convey a meaning, story or art, just like live action. I suppose it is a great vice to use if you do not have live action or need to completely make up an image, like in my film Old Man. It is technically an experimental documentary; we did not have Manson’s image, so I had to fabricate that.
HWC: What is the hardest part of working with animation and where do you see the medium going in the future?
LS: Perhaps on how time consuming it is as opposed to live action. That and how sometimes you have to work with a big team to produce maybe thirty seconds. I think the medium is infinite. I love Oculus and what they are doing with film and animation. I cannot wait to see what develops with that, interaction and filmmaking.
HWC: Do you have any advice to filmmakers just starting out?
LS: Make as much as possible and keep producing. There is always time to make a film.
HWC: Are you working on any new projects?
I am trying to produce three films, two live action and one animated and pitch three TV shows! I guess things really do come in threes?
HWC: You’re based out of Brooklyn. What is the community like there for film? Do you find it supportive?
LS: It is the most supportive community. I love all the filmmakers, artists and weirdos here. Thank you Brooklyn! I am a lucky lady to have found you.
Check out more of Leah’s work on her site!
“Making short films is so desperately unglamorous that to have people watch and hopefully enjoy your work is a genuine thrill.”
Catalina Film Festival winner Ariel Martin sits down with us to talk about his new short, “iMom”.
Honey Wagon Confidential: Your ‘iMom’ feels so much like a robot. How’d you go about planning the style of this character?
Ariel Martin: Obviously there are many great characters through cinema to draw on. I sat down with actress Matilda Brown and talked about where on the spectrum of ‘roboticness’ the iMom would sit. Haley Joel Osment’s character in Spielberg’s A.I. felt like a really interesting meshing between human and machine, and built on this idea in rehearsals.
HWC: How’d you get into filmmaking?
AM: I made alot of coffees for other people. Then I got a lucky break at 20 when I won a grant that funded my first short. On the back of my first short I managed to build a career directing TV commercials for other people’s ideas. I’m burning to make more of my own projects where there’s no client sitting behind me.
HWC: Your films have run in the festival circuit. What’s it like having your film screen in other countries? Was there one festival you preferred?
AM: Having a film at a festival is the closest I’ll ever get to feeling like ‘I’m with the band.’ Making short films is so desperately unglamorous that to have people watch and hopefully enjoy your work is a genuine thrill. And they give you a lanyard. Aspen Shortsfest and Austin Film festival are both absolute killer festivals for filmmakers.
HWC: What’re your plans for the future?
AM: I’m making my next short in the Ukraine, based on those kids that free-climb old abandoned cranes and Soviet structures. I’ve also got a feature in development.
HWC: How do you keep perspective on a film that you are both the writer and director of?
AM: Other than ads, it’s the only way I’ve ever worked. Only recently have I realised the value in feedback from trusted people.
HWC: You can only watch one film for the rest of your life. What do you choose?
AM: Oh that’s easy. Scorsese’s Taxi Driver.
Slumber Party Massacre (Amy Jones)
No one is too good for some 80’s horror. Just the right amount of cheesy and the only female directed slasher of its time, Slumber Party Massacre will add a little jump to your hump day…
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Someone with a power drill shows up uninvited to a young girl’s high-school pajama party…
Watch this flick off Amazon or catch it at Nitehawk this weekend!
“Instead of making a broad issue-based film, I decided to profile the Birdman and his store to shed light on the circumstances through a personal lens.”
The Birdman director, Jessie Auritt sits down with us to discuss the Birdman himself, as well as the difficulties behind the independent documentary…
Honey Wagon Confidential: How did the nickname “Birdman” come about?
Jessie Auritt: I asked the Birdman this question during our interview and he told me that his former employees started calling him “birdman” because he eats a lot of turkey and chicken. I decided to omit that from the film.
HWC: How did you initially encounter the Birdman and why were you compelled to make a film about him?
JA: I used to live in the East Village around the corner from his store, Rainbow Music. The first time I encountered the Birdman was when I went into the store to try to sell some used CDs. Although he didn’t end up buying any of my CDs, he and his store left a lasting impression on me. A few years later, I started thinking about ideas for an independent documentary film. I was curious about how the small independent music stores in New York City were able to stay in business despite the changing nature of the music industry and gentrification. Rainbow Music was naturally the first place that came to mind. After talking to the Birdman about my idea for the documentary, I was instantly compelled to make a film solely about him and his store. He’s such a quirky and interesting character, I felt that he deserved is own film.
HWC: The majority of the shots in the film appear to be hand-held. Was this a conscious decision on your part or an act of necessity?
JA: Yes, aside from the opening shot of the Birdman opening the store and the main interview, I shot everything in the store handheld. As you can probably tell from the film, the store in very tiny and cramped. The pathway in-between the stacks of CDs, is so narrow that I wasn’t even able to open the legs of the tripod all the way to do the interview. In order to capture everything in a vérité style, I felt that I had to shoot handheld. I also think that the movement of the handheld shots gives a sense of how cluttered and chaotic the store is. I definitely knocked over a few stacks of CDs while shooting but luckily the Birdman was understanding.
HWC: A central component of the Birdman is the degradation of small businesses due to the rise of corporate power and presence. How did this give shape to your approach as a director and how you presented the Birdman and Rainbow Music to the viewer?
JA: I have lived in New York City for close to a decade and sadly I’ve seen neighborhoods change right before my eyes. What used to be unique charming mom and pop shops are now banal chain stores and “luxury” condos. Instead of making a broad issue-based film, I decided to profile the Birdman and his store to shed light on the circumstances through a personal lens.
Unfortunately, I recently got a phone call from the Birdman and he informed me that he will be closing his store at the end of September this year.
HWC: The Birdman was your directorial debut. How did making a film for yourself compare to making films for various companies and organizations?
JA: I’ve been lucky that in my career I have had the opportunity to make some interesting and important videos for great organizations. However, making films for myself allows me to have absolute creative freedom to tell the stories I want to tell in my own style. As a filmmaker, I tend to be drawn to unique characters and situations that fall outside societal norms. My goal is to bring their stories to light in a heartfelt, honest, and sometimes humorous way. I was able to accomplish this with the Birdman and am striving to do so with my current project, Supergirl, which tells the coming of age story of an 11-year-old orthodox Jewish girl who is a world recording holding powerlifter.
HWC: What lessons or experience did you gather from the process of making The Birdman that you will now carry into your work on Supergirl, your first forthcoming feature length documentary?
JA: Aside from color correction, sound mixing and music, I pretty much did everything for the film entirely on my own. One thing I learned is that making independent documentary films is a lot of work and can be very time consuming and isolating. After my experience in making The Birdman, I knew that I wanted to collaborate with other people on Supergirl.
Check out more on Auritt’s next film Supergirl!
The Man Who Fell to Earth (Nicholas Roeg)
We’re all missing a little Bowie this week…
An alien comes to Earth in search of water to save his home planet. While developing a way in which to transport water, said alien meets a quiet hotel clerk, beginning to fall in love with her. But, just as he is ready to leave Earth, Thomas is intercepted by the U.S. government, and his entire plan is threatened.
Catch this flick at the House of Yes in Brooklyn tonight at 7:30! Or watch at home off Amazon.
In the mood for some animation? Check out Ottawa Animation Film Festival winner Steve Harding Hill’s new short, Ray’s Big Idea.
Check out some more of Steve Harding Hill’s work here!
Air Guitar Nation (Amy Lipsitz)
Got the end of summer blues? Our suggestion: 81 minutes of air guitar…
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Hundreds of hopeful air guitarists converge in New York to compete for the honor of representing the U.S. at the world championships in Finland.
Read more on this flick at the New York Times and grab it off Amazon!
Rififi (Jules Dassin)
A jewel heist, gangsters, and some unrequited love. Add some adrenaline to your week with this French classic!
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After five years in prison, jewel thief Tony (Jean Servais) gets involved in a quick job that has more implications than anyone intended…
Read more on Rififi off Criterion and catch this flick at Film Forum through this weekend!
Honey Wagon Confidential 