Even though the deadline to get your project fully supported by Deproduction with an HD production package and crew support has passed, we’re still looking for more people to participate. We need crew members to plug into the projects currently under way and we are of course still open to anyone wishing to film a short using their own crew and equipment.
Our next meeting is on Sunday evening here at the DOM Studios at 7th and Kalamath where we will be finalizing shoot schedules and other final group preparations.
Email Shea Scott at: sheascott6 [at] gmail [dot] com if you would like to be involved
Project Overview:Deproduction is Producing a revolutionary new open-source HD Feature Film project set during the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Following on the vision of Haskell Wexler’s 1968 film, Medium Cool, the script will be set in variable settings in and around the DNC. In a unique, participatory “Patchwork Production” approach, several teams will produce independent shorts ranging from 5 to 25 minutes in length, all relating to a shared theme, and with a number of shared storytelling devices. Some or all of the shorts will then be woven together to comprise a feature-length film, which will be submitted to film festivals across the country.
How to Participate:
Independent producers are invited to participate in the project at any level, or to propose a short story of their choosing. All shorts must be shot and edited in HD, and while teams are encouraged to use their own equipment, at least 5 teams will be selected to receive equipment and crew support from Deproduction, including HD cameras, lighting, audio, editing resources, and more.
Timeline:
• August 10th: Scripts and Shoot Schedules due. Cast & Crew Assignments
• August 17: 3rd Production Meeting, equipment allocation per shoot schedules
• August 20-31: Filming and production.
• Sept: Post-Production
Script Guidelines:
Script treatments should be submitted and will be reviewed at the Production Team Meetings on June 30th, July 20th , and August 3rd. Each script must deal with the simple, primary theme of right & wrong, and the concept that life is not clearly divided into good and evil, black and white (or red and blue) and that a society which expects 100% alignment robs its members of any freedom to express themselves or grow. The resulting feature-length film will itself represent a variety of diverse approaches to conveying that point. Other devices will be used to tie the stories together. For example, each short will include a witness of the Obama speech, accepting the nomination of the Democratic party on the 45th anniversary of the MLK “I have a dream” speech, representing a shared moment in time that each of the characters may experience as a point in their life that will always be remembered.
Primary Themes:
1. The Myth of Perfection: Nothing is all bad or all good, no candidate is “perfect”, but the perception is that we’re supposed to be. Scripts will be encouraged to help viewers accept disagreement and debate as “healthy”, and to help recognize that any effort to be “perfect” will result in superficial, shallow self-expression, limiting new ideas, growth, and progress.
2. The Value of Diverse Perspectives: The concept of this project, as well as the stories within it are aimed at demonstrating the validity of different perspectives and judgments. In other words, the project, and the stories within it, are designed to enlighten viewers to the validity of perspectives very different from their own, and to recognize that the concepts of “right” and “wrong” are subjective and not universal.