A new approach

this past week, there were two very different events that had a profound influence on my general outlook, and a new way of approaching PRAXIS and the American Film Market. on saturday, i got a chance to go see a screening and performance of Bob Mould and his film Circle of Friends at the Lincoln Theatre as part of the Reel Affirmations Film Festival. initially, i was very indecisive about going, since it was a relatively odd time slot, saturday around 11:30. anyhoo, the crowd was very small and intimate, but it made the film and performance all the more enjoyable. after the screening, i got a chance to formally meet bob, and he was very kind and he signed a copy of the dvd for me. needless to say, i found the music and performance absolutely incredible - there was so much heart and straight up raw emotion in the music. there was no posing, or bullshit. bob was up there pouring out his heart, and it was incredible to share this event, and feel such a connection. it was beautiful. because bob used to be in the bands husker du and sugar, his music has always been rooted in the punk rock ethos. it reminded me where PRAXIS came about, and really how i should look at the film and the AFM. PRAXIS is an incredible film, and i shouldn't be pandering to the potential distributors at the AFM, it's the other way around. anyone who doesn't take notice of PRAXIS is losing out. it's their loss.

the other event was that i got a chance to watch NO RESTRAINT, a documentary about Matthew Barney. up until this point, i had never got a chance to see an on-camera interview with Matthew, i had only read interviews in magazines, seen some of his work, and read reviews in newspapers and such. in any case, this documentary was about his process of making his new film/performance/exhibit with bjork on a whaling ship in japan. this was incredibly beautiful, and so visually compelling...it's hard to describe in words. but i think that the coolest thing about this documentary was that Matthew seemed like a genuinely nice guy, very personable, very passionate and focused about his art, but also no pretention or ego there. he just makes things, and has been fortunate that other people have supported him throught out his career. but i think the main thing that i got from the doc was that matthew's work has always been about disconnecting the analytical mind to reach a higher state of experience. basically, it means that people should approach his work with an open mind, and not one that is purely there to make specific sense or reasons for what things represent. instead, let the work speak for itself, and let the experience take you to places that you couldn't attain without letting go of the analytical mind. i totally feel that PRAXIS is like this in it's experimental narrative - let go of the analyical mind, the need to make specific sense of it all, and let the visual experience take you to higher states of experiences.

Both bob mould and matthew barney have reminded me what PRAXIS is really all about.

thank you bob for reminding me about the punk rock ethos and that PRAXIS is all heart.

thank you matthew for reminding me that film is art, not science.

Realistic

for the past few weeks, i've been preparing a ton of stuff to get ready for the American Film Market, which is a couple of weeks away. i'm excited about the trip, and have done a lot of research into a lot of the companies that are attending this year, trying to target the ones i think would be interested in a film like PRAXIS. but i'm also trying to be realistic about it. there are literally hundreds of companies and projects, and scripts, and vendors, etc. that are attending - how can you make your project stand out?

i'm definitely trying to be realistic about the market - it's not the end all be all. what it is is a strarting point, a chance to network with potential companies, meet other filmmakers, exchange war stories, etc. the companies are there to not only there to evaluate yourself as a filmmaker with a single projects, but also as a filmmaker with future projects and as someone they can work with. at the same time, you also have to get a feel for the companies and reps as to whether they are someone you can work with, or whether they're some sort of scam. basically, you have to be a total professional, and everything you do, including any after parties and such, is a reflection of you, and your potential as an overall creative filmmaker.

i've definitely posted a ton of questions on different filmmaker message boards to get a feel for what the market is like for other people - generally, the response is a little mixed. they mainly warn against potential scam artists, and companies that deal with way too many projects that they essentially put your project on a shelf. whatever the case may be, you definitely have to be incredibly alert a focused on everyone you talk to, and go with your instincts as to whether they're legit.

again, i'm still being very realistic with the market - i hope to meet potential distributors, but if not, it's not the end all be all.

on a lighter note, i've been attending a lot of the local film festivals and other local filmmaker functions to get a better feel of what a lot of the local organizations may have to offer. so far, it looks really cool, and because they are local, they are more willing to promote something if it was made in their region. it's also easier to get screenings and you have a higher chance of getting featured in a newspaper or magazine. i've just started with a lot of the local festivals, but hopefully they'll find a place for PRAXIS somewhere...

whatever the case may be, it is important to be both realistic, and positive and ethusiastic about the film - PRAXIS is a visually compelling work. knowing that this is it's strengths, and using that as leverage to set the film apart from other indie films that are out there.

New Making of Video

The Making of PRAXIS (2007)

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so, i decided to put together a shorter version of the Making of Praxis on-line and on our myspace page. the longer version is about 20 minutes or so, and is basically meant for DVD extras and other publicity stuff. this 5 minute version is a lot more concise, and will hopefully help promote the film in a different way, mainly for the upcoming American Film Market.

watching this short video is incredibly encouraging. and i hope posting will help inspire other filmmaker to continue to make movies in their own way.

-al