Tech Writ
The Background Behind the Doc Half Devil Half Child
I’m producing the Red Futon Films documentary Half Devil Half Child. We started this project in late 2010 and it will effectively take up most of my 2012. I’m the producer, editor (as in manning the machine), colorist, finisher, marketer, fundraiser and will likely wear some director hats as well. So how did this project get started, who’d I hire, what were the decisions made and what’s going to happen? This post will cover what the doc is and how it got started.
Last year a gentleman passionate about missions whom I worked with on a prior project approached me about doing a documentary on the insider movement* in Christian missions. I wasn’t too excited about the project so initially said no. It’s not sexy, extremely niche, and probably wouldn’t sell well. What changed? I I think it was my first-hand experience seeing the damage this is causing the Christian church in Bangladesh. I had a few other people I trust suggest I really consider doing this project.
After extensive mulling over, I agreed. The original gentleman agreed to fund the majority of the documentary and after discussing things with him, we agreed to take the approach of tax-deductible donations. We partnered with an organization to help facilitate some of the production and contacts we needed to continue. They budget I put together is $90,000. That includes a first distribution printing. We’re still $35,000 from that goal but we have enough to complete the film.
After I got insurance and legal in place, I did what I love most: I started bringing people together. The first was a director. I certainly don’t know this issue and consequently wouldn’t know the right questions, the issues etc. So that’s where my director, leading writer on the topic and former missionary to Islamic-majority countries Bill Nikides came in to play. Somehow I suckered him in. He was on the final drafts of a book on the same topic called Chrislam. We sat down for many hours talking, discussing and crafting. He has contacts in all denominations, as well as Muslim and secularists.
I started putting together the crew. We were on a budget and it’s a doc so we can run relatively light. I lined up a few sponsors and then hit up Twitter mates: Jon McKee and J. Aaron Greene. Jon’s an accomplished DP and we ate too many expensive meals in Vegas during NAB. Aaron’s a connection through a friend. Saying he’s a pro photographer is putting it lightly- this guy’s insanely good. I filled in the grip, audio and second camera gap. Bill, with the most experience in Bangladesh ran the relationship part of things.
So after a year of planning (that was for naught, but that’s another post. Until then, please refer to my post “The Fog of War“), we set off for three weeks of filming in Bangladesh this last September. We’re back with over 13 hours of interview footage from Bangladeshis and three American experts and a story we didn’t expect.
My next post on the doc will be regarding some of my biggest challenges producing while in the field.
*Insider movements teach that the new convert to Jesus Christ remains in their prior cultural context (in this case, Islam). The result however is that they are not Christian as understood historically and traditionally; nor are they a Muslim in any of their various sects. They are instead considered a “Muslim follower of Christ” or “Isai Muslim.”
Challenges, Unknowns, and …
I realized tonight, that 2012 is the first year since 2009 that I don’t have any international gigs planned. As I look back on the last few amazing years, I’m struck at how things have changed, where I’m headed, and even the simple fact that my original blog purpose is completely obsolete.
It’s been such a blessing to be able to work with the amazing people, great organizations and wonderful people the past few years. I’m just awed by it. I went from nothing to being able to travel the world telling stories. I attribute it all to my God. Now, the only thing on my plate is Half Devil Half Child and many maybes.
I’m looking forward to the new challenges that lay ahead- even though I don’t know what they are. I can’t quite verbalize it just yet. I just don’t know how to frame it so it makes sense. But I’ll write about this year as it happens. Until then, have a pint and enjoy your view.
Writing, The Mind, and 2012
My 2012 opportunity is not simply finishing and distributing Half Devil Half Child, but also actively developing fiction features for the faith-based marketplace. When something further happens on this end, I’ll dedicate a blog post to what’s up there. But is starts with writing.
I used to write. A lot. I started writing short stories and novels in Jr. High and continued through high school. I even had a poem published in one of those coffee table anthologies after I entered it in a contest. In high school I also started writing music quite a bit. By the time I finished college, I’d written more original pieces than I could count and performed more than 40 of them. Due to the music, my fiction writing became non-existent. Then real-life hit and I stopped both things altogether and entered the daily commute with millions of others.
My wife plays Sudoku every night before she goes to bed. She loves it. She also likes to say that it keeps her brain going. In Unbroken, Louis and Phil kept their mental wits about them during their 47 days adrift in a boat by talking about their histories down to the finest details. I think the majority of elderly folks in my family with sharp mental capacity that would belie their physical age actively do something akin to these mental workouts regularly.
I discovered this past year as I started to write music again, that I couldn’t retain my focus, I ran out of things to say, couldn’t find words etc. This was something I never had issue with in my prior writing days. My friend and I sat down for about four hours to work through a story idea and I found myself mentally exhausted. I attribute this to seven years of complete lack of practice. I do enjoy it, but can’t do it for very long before I find myself wanting a nap. I used to be able to write for hours on end.
Last year, I remember saying to myself that I was going read more and be on the computer less. This year I think I’m going to do almost the opposite. But my time on the computer will focus on writing. I enjoy it very much but since college I felt like I wasn’t being productive when I spent time writing. Well, now that I have opportunities to make money with it, things change. But more importantly, it’ll put my mind back to work in a way that it has since atrophied. Maybe I’ll live longer too and have more entertaining ramblings to pass on to my son who’s imagination will no doubt far exceed mine in its current state.
Unbroken and Its Application to Faith-Based Films
I mentioned a few days ago on my personal blog that it’s a WWII Christmas: I’m pouring through The Pacific and Unbroken. Last night, I got a little obsessed with Louis Zamperini’s story and started Googling like mad. I was amazed to discover the forgiveness he extended to the guards that beat him mercilessly in addition to seeking out The Bird and extending forgiveness to what has to be one of the most sadistic men in contemporary history. A forgiveness that extends from a strong faith in Christianity. That may very well be in Unbroken, but I’m currently only in Chapter 27.
Universal picked up the rights to this book. In addition, they bought the rights to his 35 minute talk-turned book Devil At My Heels way back in ’57 or so. Naturally, with the success of Seabiscuit, Unbroken should make for an absolutely amazing film.
This last month has found me musing about the development of films for the faith-based market with an executive at a major studio. Fireproof, Facing the Giants, and Soul Surfer (stupid name, I know) have all done well enough in the market to garner some attention by the major studios. I’ve not seen any of these movies because I don’t like schmaltz (and never heard of Soul Surfer). Needless to say, my conversations have made for some rousing and interesting discussions around the house and my buddies as to what qualifies as a faith-based film and what doesn’t.
Historically, faith-based films are schmaltzy, tied too-tightly to the inspirational genre, and contain decisive “coming to Jesus” moments. And while there certainly is a place in the market for films of this nature, I don’t believe this is the only kind of faith-based film you can have. Other films of discussion included: The Machinist, To End All Wars, Black Snake Moan, LOTR, The Shawshank Redemption and many others that were never intended for the faith-based market.
The difference is the theme of the film. Christian themes include sacrifice, forgiveness, charity, grace, mercy, standing up for the weak or the poor and oppressed, overcoming personal demons, etc. As usual in story telling, the amount of said theme is only as amazing as the contrast it’s placed in. Forgiveness is only as costly as the level or amount of what’s being forgiven- as in Zamperini’s story. The violence experienced is what makes the forgiveness so utterly amazing.
While I don’t suspect Universal will market this in the least to the faith-based market, it would only take a simple couple of paragraphs at the end of the film telling the rest of the story: he went back to Japan, he forgave his guards, attempted to seek out The Bird for the same and this was all the result of his faith in God.
Universal makes what will hopefully be an incredible film that makes hundreds of millions. And with two or three short slides, they can tell a genuine, true story and market a major blockbuster to an incredibly large and underserved faith-based market without compromising the films mass appeal.
Color Correcting the Minaret
Sometimes a grade, or in this case, a basic correction just make me go wow. I’m amazed by a couple of things. First, the amount of image information and detail a camera actually contains when you look at a shot that’s totally blown. And secondly, the power of color correction. I’m kind of in awe that I could pull this out of a way over-exposed (horrible camera guy…yeah, me) and massively compressed piece of footage. But that little Sony Z7U captured more than I thought!
Original Image
Correction 1: A reverse s-curve
I’m not sure there’s a right or wrong here. This just happened to be what gave me the best results to bring back some of the information.
Correction 2: Re-introduce the contrast, add noise reduction
Correction 3: Six-vector: yellow preset
Correction 4: Soft clipping on the highlights, adjust red offset (printer lights), add saturation
A few remaining adjustments to match the rest of the shots.
In most cases, for myself anyway, I find the best results in any correction come without pushing any of your hues or L/G/G controls around. These controls are great, but are really fine stroke tools when broad stroke tools tend to work just as well and quicker. They also save me from adding a lot of false color which introduces noise.