Angelo Bell's Painfully Exhilarating Adventures in Independent Filmmaking
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Internet pundits and information portals like Mashable predict that will be over 10,000 new web series developed, produced and released this year. Like their predecessors, many of these episodic films that are made for the Internet will go unnoticed. Many series will be released under genres so vague it will be difficult to find the series when doing a Google Internet search…
Read the rest here:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2728987/2010_resurrecting_the_neo_noir_web.html?cat=35
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
I’m going to be so freakin busy this coming year it’s going to make other people’s head spin as much as my own.
I just took a closer look at my 2010 to do list and I love it. I haven’t been this busy since 2006. However, one of the things I’ll have to reconsider is editing. I have editors assigned to my next two projects but in order to do everything I want I’ll have to jump in and edit some myself as well. It’s not so bad. I’ll have to make sure they’re smaller projects
There’s of course Resurrection of Serious Rogers and Shadowkeeper, which I’ve already announced. But I also have an idea called Broken Hearts Club – the Patients, which is basically a prelude to Broken Hearts Club – Trouble In Paradise. It will be a series of 3 minute therapy sessions full of rants. I’m still working out the details but I want to capture a diverse cross-section of people and just let it rip. I want to do 24 episodes — it’s a lot of writing but perhaps I’ll get help on it.
Then there is another web series I’d like to do and a short film I want to do called Moonlight Prodigy.
And at some point, I’ll be trying to package my script, Legend of Black Lotus.
Oh and I have to start writing BHC2: Trouble in Paradise at some point as well. Thankfully the treatment is done 
It’s going to be a crazy year. Hallelujah!
Friday, December 11th, 2009
Today I had a meeting with my Director of Photography and producer, James Rhodimer — director of Gameface and creator of the Apocalyptic Playground web series. Jim and I met on the infamous Myspace and have known each other for more than four years. We met today to discuss the look of Resurrection of Serious Rogers and how we are going to pull it off. There’s one main reason why I chose Jim for this project — he doesn’t think like a film school geek. He thinks like a filmmaker who needs to get things done.
This is not the first time Jim and I have worked together. Jim was my Art Director on Broken Hearts Club. I chose him for that project because he has a keen eye for beauty and detail — and from an artistic perspective. I don’t have that. When a person must do something that they can’t do themselves, what should he do? Hire someone better than himself to do it.
A few years back Jim and I both had films in Dances With Films Film Festival. Jim’s feature film, Gameface, was there as was the short film I produced, El Ride, by writer/director Veronica Rodriguez. At the festival closing night party at The Standard in Hollywood, Jim and I sat by the pool and vowed that we would work together on a project someday. Today, was the beginning of someday.
It’s always cool when someone is excited about your project. It’s even awesome-r when s/he is so excited that he takes ownership of many of the responsibilities required to get the damn thing done. I haven’t met many people like Jim. And that’s to say I haven’t met a lot of people like myself. Simply put — we get shit done. We don’t whine, we don’t complain (well maybe we do, but it doesn’t stop us) and we never say I can’t. Now Jim and I can converse like two film geeks about the many things that we are willing do to make sure Resurrection of Serious Rogers is not just a good film, but a great experience.
I write words to be performed while the story is told. Jim creates stunning visuals to dazzle as the story is being told. Is there a better combination of talents? And we firmly believe that we can do it regardless of budget. And the truth is, we have — many times — in the past.
So we talked about lighting, and marketing, and our awesome actors. We talked about how not to get in each other’s way — Jim is every bit a director, but we know there can only be one director on set, LOL. And I firmly acquiesce to Jim’s superior talent with the camera.
And we’re both just low-key, easy going guys who like make films. Case in point: The rain started as we talked and smoked cigars. Jim remembered that we need an exterior shot of a location in the rain. So what did he do? He left to go get the shot. This is LA, who knows when it will rain again?
So I’m excited that we’re working together to make this project. How are we going to do it? I have no idea. Then again, I’ve never started a project knowing exactly how I’m going to finish it. If I wait until all my ducks were perfectly in a row I’d probably never start anything. I only know that we will finish…and it will be awesome.
Monday, December 7th, 2009
Meet Serious Rogers
I’m happy to announce that Cooper Harris was offered and accepted the role of Serious Rogers in
Woman on Fire: The Resurrection of Serious Rogers
Cooper is an accomplished actress and stunt woman who loves a challenge. She recently wrapped the first season of Apocalyptic Playground — a sci-fi web series created by James Rhodimer — Director of Photography for “Resurrection of Serious Rogers”
Serious is tough. An assassin. A broken human being who found strength and focus in her athletic prowess and her ability to kill without emotion. The product of a troubled life, Serious gunny-sacked her emotions. She didn’t succumb to life, she turned her deep rooted anger and failing sense of self-worth into a murderous art form. She’s a killer, but she’s still all woman. She’s cold, but her heart can be touched.
And soon she will be reborn.
I’m also pleased to announce that Mercedes Manning has accepted the role of TRIXIE
Trixie is simply a perky chick from the mid-west who found herself caught in the middle of a political conspiracy. As the nanny to a morally corrupt and perverted senator, Trixie beauty got in the way and now she must die. Her only chance is to somehow touch the heart of murderous assassin who came to kill her and convince her to turn away from the life she knows.
I’m also pleased to announce that Jamie Fishback has accepted the role of MARTIN
Martin is the FBI agent with a secret. A deadly secret. While interrogating Trixie in her home he learns all about Serious Rogers and the man only known as Mystery – who runs and all-female murder-for hire operation.
I’m also pleased to announce that Nancy P Corbo has accepted the role of VANITY
Vanity is a blood-thirsty bitch out to make a name for herself and Serious Rogers is in the way. She’s Mystery’s right-hand woman and has survived assignments in South America, Afghanistan and Hong Kong. Killing Trixie and Serious will add two valuable notches to her belt…if only she can find them.
I’m also pleased to announce that JEFF TORRES, whom I’ve worked with on two previous films, joins the cast as MYSTERY. A leader. A charmer. A puppeteer of men.
I am pleased to announce that PHILIP HERSH plays HOOPER, a heroin-addicted FBI agent with a warped sense of right and wrong. His personal life was torn apart by Mystery, and now he’s out for justice.
I’m also pleased to announce that AMELIA PAWLAK joins the cast as SENATOR VICTORIA RITCHEY, the corrupt and perverted candidate for Governor of California.
I’m also pleased to announce that NANCY PHILIPS joins the cast as MAX, a story-telling assassin who doubles as a Nurse.
Jenn Waugh
JENN WAUGH plays the unstable hot-tempered, trigger happy PRIMO.
An assassin who must prove herself to get back into her boss’ good graces.
==========
Jesse Averna
http://www.twitter.com/Dr0id
http://www.icutfilm.com
Jesse is quickly making a respected name for himself as a feature and web series editor. I’m happy he has joined the crew as key editor.
====================
Since January 2009 I have been talking about Serious Rogers. Many issues have gotten in the way and now I believe it was all for the best. I couldn’t be more pleased with the team I’ve put together to make the film. Hopefully our audience will be pleased as well.
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
The Next Wave of casting “Woman on Fire: Resurrection of Serious Rogers” is in play. But first — GOD, I’m getting tired of writing that title. It may be time for a name change.
Callbacks have been scheduled. We’ll, the first round of callbacks anyway. After reviewing the videos on Cazt.com a few times I decided to bring one or two extra in for callbacks. More than likely I’ll need another day sometime before Christmas.
The lead role is a tough call. The women I’ve called back are very good. Now we get to test chemistry with the other actors. A couple of red flags have been raised in some other areas, but I’ll wait to see how it plays out. This casting process serves as a guide for picking talent, choosing “look,” determining performance chemistry — and since this is a low budget project, making sure I don’t inadvertently hire any prima donnas.
If funny but if this were a bigger production I wouldn’t worry so much about attitudes, personalities, and whatnot. But because we’ll have a small crew, tight locations, and some long days I must consider who I want to work with. It won’t be like I can walk to the back of the soundstage, smoke a cigarette and cool off.
The other thing that this casting session and other recent events have re-taught me is that not everyone is truly in the game to make things happen. Some people simply want to be a part of what’s happening. Me, I don’t want to simply go along for the ride. I want to initiate the process, steer it, direct it. I want to be a driving force and that means I have to be the one who takes action, gains momentum and just keeps swimming.
Friday, November 27th, 2009
What is the future of indie filmmaking?
In 2015, as indie filmmakers look at the status quo and the evolution of independent filmmaking since 2000, a few key learnings will emerge. Among the most profound will be the painful understanding that indie filmmakers got caught up in the Hollywood-esque whirlwind of spend, spend, spend. When in fact such irresponsible spending was to the detriment of the industry of independent filmmaking and to the film project itself.
In 2015, the notion that bigger is better will come to a screeching painful halt. Filmmakers who have padded their production budgets with miscellaneous expenses crew member salaries will come to the painful realization that they’ve gotten caught up in Hollywood media propaganda.
Who doesn’t want to be a part of a 50-person production team? The visual of being on set with ten people working like crazy, forty people sitting on their asses looking befuddled and a director screaming and pulling his/her hair out is what most people see as an ideal production. There’s energy! There’s chaos! There’s tension! There’s conflict! Hell, it’s just like a movie.
But is that what independent filmmaking is all about? Is that what no-budget filmmaking is all about? Or is it more of what we expect a Hollywood studio production to be like?
The monetization of independent films (particularly low-/no-budget indie films) begins with the expense of making the film. The more you spend on the film, the more the film must earn before investors are paid, actors are paid and ultimately YOU are paid. With indie film distribution still a conundrum to most folks — even experts — and studios balking at indie films with no celebrities, how do you turn a $100K indie film into a financial success? In this case financial success means, how do you make enough money from your film’s distribution to live and make another film? Could it that you start by making a $50K, or a $30K or a $10K film instead of spending a tenth of a million dollars?
I look around and I see/hear about dozens of productions with engorged production expenses. There seems to be this prevailing rite-of-passage perception that “If I spend tens of thousands of dollars on my film it must be a real film.” What happened to the ideals taught in the book, How to Make a Film for $10,000 and Not Go to Jail?
How to Make a Film for $10,000 and Not Go to Jail
But let me point the finger at myself too. I spent far too much money on my film, Broken Hearts Club. I should have spent half as much, but it was easier to throw money at issues and conditions because I was lucky enough to have that money available.
We can’t blame technology for our inflated budgets. The technology is there. The technology continues to be on the side of the independent filmmaker who aspires to create art and entertainment for under $10K (or even less). Films that were edited using iMovie ($79) have made it to the Independent Spirit Awards. Cinema filters for Final Cut Pro start out around $100. You can find a 1-terabyte internal hard drive for under $100 or a firewire external for around $150. We can rent HD cameras for $65 a day, or buy a used one on eBay. With the right filters in FCP and/or some editing prowess we can even use a consumer HD camera to make a film.
But some where along the way I think people lost faith in the indie way. Perhaps it wasn’t glamorous enough. Perhaps it was simply too damn hard. It seems we get caught up in having a posse of stray PA’s roaming the set. It’s easier to hire a costumer to pick wardrobe choices instead of doing it ourselves. Some indie DP’s frown at having to do the work of a Grip. Director’s want to sit their asses in a chair for most of the production instead of helping with lights, makeup, set design.
I’m not saying it’s easy to be a director on an indie set and have to switch between being your own PA, Scripty and 1st AD — but I am saying it’s what you (we) did when we first started making films. Now that you’ve gotten better at the whole filmmaking thing, why not re-employ those strategies that allowed you to make a zero-budget film in the first place?
That’s exactly what I am doing with my feature film/web series Woman on Fire: The Resurrection of Serious Rogers. I’m turning the clock back to 2003 when I made my first no-budget short. I’m breaking my ass to gather a team that believes in guerrilla-style no-budget filmmaking where everyone wears three hats, gets their own coffee, is thankful for the case of RedBull and doesn’t bitch about eating subway sandwiches.
Once I’ve revisited the past I shall go back to the future to test my theory. Implementation of the theory is more about resourcefulness and creativity than it is about intelligence. Where there is a will, there is a way. But we have to believe we can still make a good film with a good story the old fashioned way.
Yeah. We can.
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
You can help support the film by donating here: http://www.indiegogo.com/Woman-on-Fire
Today felt like I was in a Casting 101 Class for Casting Directors. It had been nearly two years since I held my last auditions (for Broken Hearts Club) and I felt out of touch. I guess one of the main things that concerned me was professionalism — not from the actors, from me and my crew.
I’ve prided myself on being professional and detailed throughout all my auditions. I give an overwhelming amount of information to the actors because I believe it helps with their performance. I also believe it’s just damn respectful. I mean, these folks are traveling distances to come stand in front of me and basically be judged. Far be it from me to make their experience even more traumatic with flimsy info. I’ve been told more than once that I run a tight, professional but laid back ship. I try to keep that going.
So this morning my nerves were so bad my stomach ached. Seriously. I must’ve went to the bathroom three times before I finally said, “Get it together, Angelo!” I arrived at the CAZT Studios almost an hour early, went to Starbucks on La Brea and Santa Monica and had coffee. Then I walked three blocks to the studio.
I got my room, which was much smaller than I am used to having. In the past I’ve done all my casting in boardrooms. Rooms that fit 25 people around a table and another fifty standing around it. The small 10 x 10 room seemed, well… small. But the camera was free. And that meant there’d be no need to import two hours of tape to hard disk. Thank God.
James Rhodimer was the first to arrive and he definitely was a sight for sore eyes. We chatted for a while and then Chantal, the first intern showed up. Ryan was the second intern. Then Elena Campbell-Martinez. Then Kevin Huie. We had all worked together on Broken Hearts Club.
It was quiet for15 minutes as the first actors on my confirmed list were no-shows. I had deliberately attempted to pad the audition close together to avoid down time. It didn’t work — or I suck at padding.
Soon we were on our way. I began to recognize the faces of folks who I’d been corresponding with through emails. Some I’ve chatted with for nearly six months, dating back in June when I first tried to launch this project. Some I’d only spoken with over the past 2-3 weeks. Some less than that. I may forget names, but I never forget faces.
The primary roles in WOMAN ON FIRE: the Resurrection of Serious Rogers are Trixie, Serious Rogers, Hooper and Martin. The supporting roles were Vanity, Max, Senator. We saw plenty of Trixie’s but not as many Serious Rogers as I would have liked to see. The guys were almost nonexistent accept a few notables like Jaime Fishback from Twitter.
The previous day I’d prayed to God to bring me someone who knocked my socks off. I wanted someone like Maya Gilbert who was in my films, Nanny and the Professional and Broken Hearts Club. I wanted a guy like Sean Ross from my films, Renounced, Love is for Democrats, Nanny and the Professional, Broken Hearts Club (short) and Broken Hearts Club (feature).
I was shocked when one handsome guy came in to read for an important and recurring role in the film. I wasn’t shocked that he was handsome, I was shocked that he didn’t turn off his cell phone for the audition. It buzzed. But I was flabbergasted when he answered the phone in the middle of his monologue. Wow. All I could think was, “He probably wouldn’t have done that if I were Spike Lee or Antoine Fuqua or F. Gary Gray.” He tried to play it off and stay in character as he told the person on the other end to call back. It didn’t work. He lost it… and he lost our attention as well. It was disrespectful and unprofessional.
Then it happened. One of the women I’d been speaking to came to read for Serious Rogers. The sides are three pages long with an emotional monologue at the end. She got it. She did it. Her performance matched everything I’d envisioned in my head. Physically she was right-on too.
A few auditions later and someone came to read for Martin. I’ll be damned if he didn’t hit every note I wanted him to hit, without direction.
Then we had a Trixie. Appearance-wise she was perfect. She toyed with the provocative playfulness of the character and she knew how to use her blue eyes in just the right way: playful but deadly.
It seems actors like playing bad guys and bad girls. Vanity is a small but meaty role, but actresses seem to love it. That when I had the mother of all sock-knocker-off’ers. Someone came to read for Vanity, the paramilitary homicidal maniac with a grudge to bear. She HIT it out the park. As she left, Jim turned to me and said something like, “I thought she was going to kill me the way she looked at me.”
Then the gamble. The Senator. I’d called five guys to come read for the senator. One showed up. But as an alternate I decided to have a woman read for the role as well. Hell, a woman can be a power-hungry SOB too, right? Turns out that it was a good thing I squeezed in my friend from Facebook. She came in. She hit that shit out the park. The gamble paid off.
We had other great performances. A guy with a Russian accent (which totally disappeared during his reading) did a remarkable job with Hooper. So did one other actor.
I have a couple of pet peeves though. My biggest gripe is my lack of understanding concerning actors who aren’t off-book even though they’ve had the sides for over a week. Simply put, one’s performance is automatically better when you can directly engage the person reading lines with you. That’s why I asked Elena and Nicole to come read with me. They are professionals who’ve been on the other side of the casting table hundreds of times.
Although I would have liked to have seen much more people, I am satisfied so far. I was trying to avoid callbacks but I think they’ll be necessary. And it’ll be fun too as I watch my script come to life in the hands of these professionals.
I drove one of the interns, Chantal, home to Silverlake since she took the bus to the auditions. She’s cool and I want to help her gain as much production experience as possible. On the way home we smoked cigs in my car, talked casting, revered each other’s age. Then she said, “You have good energy.”
I have good energy. I like that. I’ll try to keep that going.
You can help support the film by donating here:http://www.indiegogo.com/Woman-on-Fire
Monday, November 23rd, 2009
WOMAN ON FIRE
The Resurrection of Serious Rogers
Join me on IndieGoGo! Your Support is Appreciated
http://www.indiegogo.com/Woman-on-Fire
Even if you cannot support the web series at this time you can help by forwarding the link above to friends and family, posting the link on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Tumblr and other social networking sites. It’s the numbers game, and the more people who now about this provocative action thriller web series the better we can make it.
| $25 = Associate Producer Name in credits. Invite to wrap party. Autographed production photo. Advanced screening of all episodes. |
| $50 = Co-Producer Name in credits, invite to wrap party, invite to DVD release party, name and picture on website. Autographed production photo. Signed DVD (when released). Advanced screening of all episodes. |
| $200 = Sponsor Producer Non-speaking walk-on role. Name in credits. Invite to wrap party. Invite to DVD release party. Name and picture on website. Autographed production photo. Signed DVD (when released). Signed cast calendar (when released). Advanced screening of all episodes. |
| $500 = Executive Producer (only 6 available) Under-5(speaking) walk-on role. Name in credits. Invite to wrap party. Invite to DVD release party. Invite to screenings in LA. Name and picture on website as part of cast. IMDB credit. Autographed production photo. Signed DVD (when released). Signed cast calendar (when released). T-shirt. Autographed graphic novel. Advanced screening of all episodes. |
Follow Serious Rogers on Twitter:
http://www.Twitter.com/SeriousRogers
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
It’s D-Day. The quiet before the storm. Or at least that’s what I’ve made it out to be in my mind. Auditions for “Resurrection of Serious Rogers” stand at 43 confirmed appointments for actors, 30 unconfirmed. As it stands I have at least one definite intern coming to help out and one possible. My DP James Rhodimer is coming through, as is my First AD Kevin Huie, whom I’ve worked with several times. I also expect a few friends to show up to help read with the actors. Elena Campbell Martinez and Nicole Sessions, who were both in Broken Hearts Club should be there.
The schedule has been as dynamic and changing as the sea, add one, remove two; reschedule one, delete two. It’s an ever present reminder of the challenges of independent filmmaking, especially when there is NO budget.
My mind has been changing as well. The challenges that have come my way with just a simple casting call speak to what is yet to come. Luckily experience is on my side and I have a sufficient enough grasp of the inevitable to attempt to prepare for it. Sometimes I believe Mr. Murphy, the dood who came up with Murphy’s Law, was a filmmaker.
But there is one thing I have decided and I am 100% sure of it. I will do whatever it takes to complete this project and I will have fun doing it. I’m prepared to be flexible, resourceful, and committed to completing this project and realizing its full potential. Tomorrow I setup an account on IndieGoGo — a film funding site. I will use this tool to launch the new name of the series –
WOMAN ON FIRE
-The Resurrection of Serious Rogers-
What is that potential? Web series. DVD. Independent TV. Graphic novel. Merchandising.
So l’aventure commence. The adventure begins.
Sunday, October 25th, 2009
Trying to move forward on my webseries, so I created this image.
Find me on these social sites.
Angelo Bell's Painfully Exhilarating Adventures in Independent Filmmaking
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