Chicago & Formosa Betrayed

These past couple weeks, I have been lucky enough to intern on a feature film, known as Formosa Betrayed.

I won't divulge too much information on the movie, but here is a brief synopsis for you to read through.

Formosa Betrayed is set in the 1980's, where a young detective investigates the murder of a well known professor.  During the investigation, he uncovers truths that send him on a collision course with the chinese mafia, chinese government and U.S. state department.  He must then not only uncover the mystery of this professor's murder, but also fight for his own survival.

That's pretty much the idea.  My life in the production office wasn't nearly that exciting, but I'm not complaining.  

Working as an intern gives you the opportunity to do several things, from distributing script revisions to running errands - to places that you don't really know about.  (This allowed me to get to know some filmmaking places that I will be using in the future, provided I shoot a film in Chicago.)

Chicago filmmaking is on the rise with films like Formosa, Dark Knight, ER, and much more.  (Yes, ER has been here a while)  But the industry is returning to Chicago over the next several years, and the hope is to have a thriving film community as soon as possible.

Some say we can only hope...I don't think we need to.  Filmmaking is on its way back to Chicago.  It's simply a matter of time.

DM

Son of Rambow

Last week I was able to attend a screening of Son of Rambow, starring two young actors, Bill Milner & Will Poulter.

Set in the 1980's, this film is about their fascination with a pirated copy of First Blood, which prompts the start of their own homemade sequel, against the wishes of their school and their families.

Rambow is fun and entertaining, but I didn't feel that it was anything extraordinary.  I'm not saying that Rambow was bad, but maybe I expected something a little different because of some preconceived notions.

Nick Goldsmith and Garth Jennings make up the team Hammer & Tongs, who started work on Rambow more than 8 years ago.  That's not to say they were constantly working on it, because they weren't.  They were in fact working on a studio picture for much of the time, known as Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Perhaps some of you have heard of it?

Hammer & Tongs paid a visit to Flashpoint the day after the screening, and we were able to ask a few questions about the process of filmmaking, and how Rambow became what it was.  They talked about their lives during the process of making a film, and working with child actors (since there were plenty in this film) and what it's like coming off of a studio film and doing something on a smaller scale.

All in all, Rambow was entertaining, warm, and heartfelt.  Unfortunately it suffers from the cliche story line at times, and one of the side stories could have been done without.  I won't spoil it for you though, in case you plan on a viewing.

Later this week I'll have a report on the feature Formosa Betrayed, which I am currently interning on.

DM

Chicago 2016 - Part 1

In 2016, Chicago holds the possibility of hosting the Summer Olympic Games, which would turn the city into a hub of activity.

Not that it isn't already...

But hosting the Olympics would present Chicago with the opportunity to improve the city's economy and quality of life on a grander scale, even after the Olympics have come and gone from the city.  

The USOC picked Chicago over Los Angeles last year, since only one American city is allowed to compete for the Olympic bid.  From that point on, the city has been preparing and praying for an event like this to come to the shores of Lake Michigan.

And why shouldn't they?  There's 29 miles of shoreline, a beautiful skyline, and plenty of able venues to host the games (i.e. The United Center & Soldier Field.)  We are a hub of sporting activities, and we have a powerhouse of great players.  Even if you disagree, you can't say it hasn't had a lush history with some of the greatest players in the world.

And nothing represents diversity like Chicago.  There are over 25,000 people in each of the more than 25 nationalities in the area.  The Mayor and others have overseen making the city the greenest in the United States.  Over half a million trees and the restoration of parks and landmarks are making Chicago more beautiful than ever.

This may seem like a bit of an advertisement for the Olympic bid, but what I am getting at is the amount of manpower involved. Just imagine the magnitude of people working towards an event like this.

More on this later...

DM

Carlos & Will

Amidst all the chaos these last few weeks, I had a chance to see R. Carlos Nakai and Will Eaton in concert this afternoon.

For those who don't know, R. Carlos Nakai (RC) is a rather famous Native American Flute Musician.  He plays a wide variety of flutes, and has released well over 30 albums since the 1980's.  His music is soothing, peaceful, and extraordinarily graceful.  This is the perfect kind of music to let your mind wander.

In fact, that's what RC said during the concert.  When he plays his music, he wants you to use your imagination to take you places.

Will Eaton joined RC on stage, and played the double head harp guitar, which is so elaborate it has its own computer built in.  Yes, a computer.  It even has its own little monitor.  This allows Will to play multiple instruments in one, and bring in certain elements of song that you wouldn't normally be able to do with only two people playing.

What was really impressive was their collaboration on improvisation.  After a standing ovation at the end of the performance, the two walked back on stage to play one more tune.  Will turned to RC and said "you wanna just do another improv?"

The crowd cheered, and they began a 7 minute song.  They fed off of one another, using plenty of instruments to quickly find the right beat and then bring the song to life.  Everything from the bass, to the guitar, to the piano, to the Native American flutes were used.

This music took my mind out of the stresses of life for two hours.  Sometimes that's all you need.

DM