These are the undisputed best films of the year.

1. Dogtooth

2. Blue Valentine

3. Ondine

4. Black Swan

5. Fish Tank

6. The American

7. Solitary Man

8. The Father of my Children

9. I am Love

10. The Disappearance of Alice Creed.

Of note: Easy A, Catfish, The Social Network, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Another Year, Animal Kingdom

Yesterday I took a break from writing to grab lunch and I remembered an email somebody sent a while back. It pissed me off all over again.

This person said they were inspired by the way I just went out and made WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD with myself as the only crew, how I just decided to make a film and then went out and made it. I replied to the message with a thank you and a brief “all you need to do is decide to make a film and then…you make it” message of inspiration.

Then I received a further message, pretty much asking for my help making their film, because, they said, unlike me, not everybody can just go out and make a film.

They pretty much wanted me to take their script and make their movie for them.

THAT IS SO WEAK

Something I learned very early on when making music transferred perfectly to film:

There will always be better filmmakers.

There will always be more talented filmmakers.

There will always be luckier filmmakers.

There will NEVER be a filmmaker who works harder than I do.

It was the only thing I could control, so I decided to control it.

SO, PLEASE

Don’t be a lazy fuck and expect people to create for you.

If you need equipment, find a way to buy it.

If you need actors, find them.

If you need a script, write one, get a friend to write one, remake The Tempest in a high school and shoot it on your iPhone, anything.

If things aren’t working out for you, if you’re not “getting the breaks,” if you’re not working on a new script because, even though nobody’s rushing to make the ONE script you have, you know it’s the greatest thing since Matrix Reloaded…if you spend more time talking about what you’re going to do or reading books and magazines and blogs about what you want to be doing, then you’re not doing anything.

All you really need to do is…something.

Now, I’m going to stop playing around on this blog and get back to writing.

Oh, and I procrastinate EVERY day. I find the secret to good procrastination is to switch back and forth between projects rather than the dishes, playstation, online “research,” etc…

WRITING: Been doing a lot of it, A LOT.

I finished the first draft of I THINK WE SHOULD SEE YOUNGER PEOPLE a week or so ago. I think it’s by far the best thing I’ve written, but I still need to take the requisite time away to reflect. I need to put it in the drawer for a month and then check back in with it.

I’m also currently at work on two more commercial scripts, one very stylish caper/heist film, the other a contained caper/crime/thriller. I hope to have them finished by the new year.

Things don’t always happen this way, but I came up with the idea for my latest film on Dec 11th. As of right now, Dec 17 at 10am, I’m on page 43 of the script. 

EDITING: Not much.

I took a shot at getting back into the VAMLET edit, but I didn’t quite have the resolve. It’s just such a HUGE chunk of footage. I love it, of course, but it’s a killer. SOON I shall return, perhaps as soon as I’ve finished my first draft of this new script.

I thought THE AMERICAN was brilliant.

I’m hoping to do some “director-for-hire” stuff asap.

I hate the waxy, creepy, puffy-lipped look of actors who have had plastic surgery.

I drink more than three cups of tea a day while writing.

I watch (and more likely re-watch) at least three movies a day.

I was walking home from the store yesterday and got to thinking…if religious idiots (Christians/Muslims, et al) don’t destroy our species, PUNCH DRUNK LOVE is going to be remembered as such a great fucking movie. It seems to get better every year.

DAN and WES

UPDATES ON THE FILMS:

A NIGHT FOR DYING TIGERS

Still waiting to hear about any sales.

VAMLET

I’ve taken a week off from editing. I was really burnt out and needed the break. I’m looking forward to getting back into it with a clear and inspired head. Hmmm the words inspired and insipid aren’t that far apart…

UPDATES ON THE SCRIPTS:

CINEMANOVEL

Working on a rewrite/polish. Planning on shooting Summer 2011.

I THINK WE SHOULD SEE YOUNGER PEOPLE

63 pages in and I know the ending! Now I just need to work on the last half of the middle bit (what some folks might call the second act).

FAKERS

70 pages in and, because a caper film has so much more plot, a lot of work to do. However, I know what happens next…and I know how it ends!

I think I’ve watched just about every crime/caper film ever made this week. Whew.

PORTSIDE & ABEL

A complete re-imagining of my 2004 script. Now, I’m writing it as a one hour television pilot. Come on cable. Let’s do this.

OTHER STUFF:

Rob Leickner’s (very funny) film Everything Louder than Everything Else screens at the Whistler Film Festival on Dec 2nd!

Iron Bowl starts in twenty minutes…

“Jesus Christ, Alison, he doesn’t look remotely Swedish!”

FIRST RESHOOT required. A little out of focus action means a quick reshoot. Should only take an hour or two, only one main character involved. If you have to do a reshoot, this is the type you want.

EDITING

Editing is getting tough. No end to the chaos. No end to the footage. I have SO MUCH writing I need to do, and it’s impossible with all of this editing to get done.

This is the most editing I’ve ever had to do on a film. This is the “roughest” audio, the “roughest” picture, the “roughest” everything. This just means the film has a long way to go. I’ll get it there, for sure, but it’s going to take a LOT of time and work.

I may have to take a break from the edit and run away for a week or so to write. This writing needs to be done!

TIGERS

No word on anything on the tigers front as far as distribution, etc…but we’re hopeful something will come through soon.

Kathleen and Pyper at the premiere of A NIGHT FOR DYING TIGERS at TIFF 2010.

The seemingly endless VAMLET edit continues.

It was so great to have two cameras and have Gaelle working the second camera. She did a great job, and I am using second camera footage…however…

I’m not sure about two cameras for the future. It’s A LOT of footage to slog through, and a lot to keep in your mind while editing.

It’s much easier to edit as you shoot with one camera, and editing while I’m shooting is VERY important to me.

I would have had the entire film roughly edited on the last day of shooting had I shot with one camera.

Tough call.

Using two cameras allows you to capture great improvised moments on both sides, however, if the lighting isn’t right on the other side it’s useless AND there is just so much footage!

I had one camera for a few scenes and one camera on WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD, and there were no moments/scenes where I felt I’d sacrificed quality by having one camera.

But it was great having Gaelle on set and she framed some shots so well that I just had to use them in the film.

Tough call.

I think it depends on the film. For my next film, I’m looking at a different visual style, a very cinematic, stylized camera. I’m Probably not going handheld for a while! My shoulder is still killing me from the last shoot. Tripods and Dollies!

JESSE and ROB C.

“Mist!”

Almost finished the rough edit of the GYM and the SAUNA.

Then it’s THE DRESS SHOP.

I had hoped to work quicker than one scene a day, but one scene a day seems to be the max.

It’s been interesting following Ed burns and his approach with Nice Guy Johnny. I think there may be hope for day and date VOD. I plan on targeting this type of approach with this film.

Our sales agent is hoping something will happen with A Night For Dying Tigers at AFM.

Back to work!

RENEE ST CYR is THE CATERPILLAR in VAMLET

This picture we’re currently calling VAMLET is wrapped as far as principal photography goes. It’s so funny to use terms like “principal photography” to describe what just happened, but technically, that is what it was. When you run and gun and make films for no money, it’s kind of funny to discuss those films in traditional industry terms. But, hey, it’s a movie and production is over!

NOW PLAYING (classic)

On an unrelated note, it’s interesting that, as far as North American English language works go, the best writing and most accomplished storytelling continues to appear on television rather than on the big screen. Dramas like Mad Men, Friday Night Lights, Breaking Bad, and Boardwalk Empire deliver so much more than their watered-down, made by committee, theatrical counterparts. The same is true of comedy (perhaps even more so). Yet, filmmakers working outside of North America continue to deliver theatrical work that equals, or in many cases, transcends the best television has to offer. It would be nice to see a shift back from shit to shine in North American cinema.