Washington, Oregon, and Us - Day Two

The morning for us began around 9am.

The hotel we are staying in has a restaurant right beside the Columbia River Gorge, which is where we decided to have breakfast. The view of the wide river and calm water was absolutely amazing. The today consisted mostly of finding vintage and antique stores in Vancouver. There are several in town and I'm pretty sure we ended up finding them all.

I couldn't believe my eyes when we walked into some of these stores. The Old Town Antique Market is three floors and it's filled with original, vintage, unique, antique items. I love browsing through such items because I feel like I'm connecting with stories and a certain part of history. The items ranged from Mickey Mouse telephones to World War II memorabilia. I felt like buying the entire store and shipping everything back home. There were several stores we visited, including Not Too Shabby, The Cat's Pajamas and Swoon.

There were several stops along the way, including Ice Cream Renaissance. I had come across a review of this local ice cream shop while reading about Dolce Gelato, and after discovering we were shopping right beside the ice cream shop, we decided to pop in. I can't emphasize this enough, so you'll to believe me, but this was the best tasting strawberry ice cream, boysenberry pie and ice cream float we have ever had in our lives. The pie was so good and warm, I can already feel myself craving a slice when I'm back home.

There was one screening we were really looking forward to seeing tonight, which was Moving a Mountain, a film from an Armenian filmmaker. There were some technical difficulties with the film, however, and the film will be running on Sunday. We ended up seeing two other short films, Voices of Sculpture, a mediative film about the significance of art in our lives, as well as A Turn of the Blinds, a sweet and touching film about finding love. The hosts of the film festival invited us for drinks after the screening of our film tomorrow evening. The plan is to catch up with them at Brickhouse or Top Shelf, so we're looking forward to meeting and drinking with some new people from the town.

The next stop for us was Salmon Creek Brewery & Pub, where we had some beers at the bar along with tots and nachos. The owner of the place was such a kind and welcoming woman. The woman keeps a bat in back of the bar for customers who are stupid enough to ask for Bud. The evening wrapped up for us with a screening of Crazy, Stupid, Love. in Regal Cinemas 99. This was our first real film in an out-of-state theater, which was quite a fun experience.

The screening of Amorosa is tomorrow!

Washington, Oregon, and Us - Day One

I have been looking forward to our trip to Washington and Oregon for months. I was extremely excited to discover that my short film, Amorosa, was an Official Selection at the Columbia Gorge International Film Festival.

The funny thing about this entire experience and trip was where the film festival is being held. The film festival is in Vancouver, Washington and that's confusing for two reasons. The first is that Vancouver is often associated with Canada, and the second is that Washington is often confused for Washington, D.C. There's also something else. Oregon is one of those states that you don't really think exists. I don't even know why. It's one of those states that you think is a myth. Oregon? Who lives in Oregon? It's all so strange and obscure when you think about life outside of the city you live in. I can confirm, however, that Oregon is a real place with real people. In fact, both states are beautiful in their own ways.

In the first day of our trip, we didn't spend much time in Portland. The runway for the airport lands right beside the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. The few minutes we enjoyed outside the airport was when we drove through some fields to hop onto the highway. The drive took us from Portland to Vancouver over the river and the views were spectacular.

In Vancouver, we enjoyed a nice lunch at Dolce Gelato. The city is so peaceful and quiet, beautiful and scenic. There are trees everywhere, green gardens and parks, and fresh air. In fact, we took a stroll through Esther Park afterward, surrounding ourselves in nature. This is a city I could see myself living in. The hotel we're staying in is on the Columbia River Gorge. It's walking distance from all the film festival theaters and screenings in Downtown Vancouver. There's really nothing more fun and intimate than that. The Opening Night of the Columbia Gorge International Film Festival was today. The red carpets were rolled out, and after we picked up our festival badges, we were on our way to the historic Kiggins Theatre.

The evening began with Challenging Impossibility, a short documentary on Sri Chinmoy, an Indian spirtuial teacher who took on weightlifting to inspire people. The film was entertaining, shedding light on an unfamiliar world of weightlifting. It's a documentary unlike any other I've really seen before. The film was quite heavy-handed in its structure, but it's fascinating subject matter almost made me overlook its imperfections. The film was followed by a shorter piece, Walking Through Mist. In this two-part film, which feels more like an installation in a museum, the filmmaker takes us on a journey through the Columbia River Gorge, in a beautiful and poetic manner. The film plays with our senses, as images transform every few seconds, changing and shaping our perceptions.

The centerpiece film of the evening was Jay Duplass' documentary, Kevin. The documentary focuses on Kevin Gant, a musician from Austin, Texas, who has been on quite a roller coaster of a life. The film was made on pretty much no budget, with the entire documentary being concerned with Kevin's fascinating character. Kevin is fast-talking, extremely interesting and smart person with more than musical talents. The film cleverly explores his life and shortcomings in an engaging approach. The opening night wrapped up with a short performance from Kevin Gant, as well as a Q&A with the filmmakers of all three films, including Jay Duplass. I also had the opportunity to speak with Jay Duplass after the screening, who is as cool as an independent filmmaker comes.

This is film festival is off to a great start. It's quite exciting to be so way from home, in a different town with different artists. I also discovered that there are two Armenian filmmakers participating in the festival. I'll be checking out their films over the next few days and will hopefully meet them as well.

Crossroad

There are some things in life that you don't forget. I will never forget my first hands-on production experience.

I was on my way to Shervin Youssefian's house at 8:30am on a Sunday to work on a music video. I walked into his house and was greeted by his mother. I sat and waited in the kitchen with her as Shervin prepared his things.

I remember watching Shervin work during the production of the music video and thinking how easy he made everything look. Shervin handled the music video and a team of a dozen or so crew members with ease. The camera in his hands was smooth, every move calculated, and I remember feeling like I was where I belonged.

I knew Shervin through his short film, Color Blind (2002), which he had produced with his partner, Danny Simonzad. Color Blind is a film that made me realize the full potential of poetic cinema, and I was intimated to meet the masterminds behind the work. I told Shervin how eager I was to apply to film school, and he encouraged me to keep my passion for film alive, and offered me a position on his future projects and commercials.

I was working on applications for school and was extremely nervous. Shervin couldn't be bothered less, and when I finally asked him why he was so confident that I had nothing to worry about, he smiled and said, "You're exactly what the school is looking for."

I was accepted into the USC School of Cinematic Arts soon thereafter. I wasn’t able to work on a handful of projects Shervin needed me for because I was now busy with my own work. Shervin understood and supported me along my own journey when I produced my own short film, Amorosa (2010).

Shervin Youssefian has recently finished production of his first feature-length film, Crossroad (2012). The film centers on twelve strangers in a diner, who all come to realize that God plays a significant role in each of their lives. The film focuses on Michael, who sets up a meeting with the man responsible for murdering his wife and child. Michael’s plans are disrupted when the diner is robbed. The film explores the importance of faith, grace, and the role of God in our lives.

If nothing else, Shervin provides us all with hope. I’m sure he started this film with nothing more than a vision, and it's that vision of his that pushed the project into completion regardless of all the obstacles along his path.

I wanted nothing more than to work on this film. I know that one day, our paths will cross again. Crossroad is a film about fates colliding, bringing people together and uniting them for a greater good. In a sense, it’s a perfect metaphor for my own relationship with Shervin.

Shervin knows people, he understands our emotions, and he has a powerful way of exploring them. Color Blind proved that he could move an audience in extraordinary ways in a matter of minutes. Now, and with Crossroad, he has more than an hour to touch our hearts, enlighten us, and help us learn something along the way.

I’m looking forward to the journey.

Crossroad is currently in post-production and will be released in 2012.

Midnight in Paris

I remember setting my eyes on the Eiffel Tower for the first time. I was walking the streets of Paris with my family, and I could see the tip of the tower from a distance, peeking from behind a building. I was both overwhelmed and fascinated, and a few steps later, I was standing in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Midnight in Paris (2011) is Woody Allen's love letter to the city of lights. The film follows Gil (Owen Wilson) and Inez (Rachel McAdams), an engaged couple, into the romantic city. Gil is a screenwriter, taken with the city's beauty and history, whereas Inez is concerned with shopping for her wedding. Gil is nostalgic for everything that came before him, including the wonderful writers and painters who lived and worked in Paris in the 1920s. Gil and Inez meet with Paul (Michael Sheen), a friend of her family, as he presents them with a rather pompous tour of the town.

In their conversation with Paul outside the gardens of Versailles, Paul remarks that nostalgia is the "denial of the painful present." Their entire conversation describes exactly how I feel about life, but this line, in particular, jumped off the screen for me. Gil is unable to appreciate what is happening in the now, and instead wants to be a part of something that has already taken place, without him.

Gil and Inez are polar opposites. Gil wants to walk the streets of Paris, discover its hidden beauty, and even walk in the afternoon rain, because that's the beauty of Paris! Inez wants to spend time with Paul and her family, have exquisite lunches and dinners, and refuses to walk in the rain because she doesn't want to get wet. So, Gil is encouraged to spend his evenings alone, doing what it is that writers do, while Inez is out dancing wand spending her time with her family.

The feeling of nostalgia within Gil is explored when he is picked up in a classic car, every midnight, which serves as a time machine back into the 1920s. Gil meets his idols, including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zelda Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. There is nothing stopping him from returning back to the present, and every chance he finds, he is back rubbing elbows with the legends. This is where the genius of the film lies, the ability to take us back into time, and see history from the present. Midnight in Paris is similar in tone to The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), a nostalgic and romantic look at a time that is long gone.

In his adventures in time, Gil stumbles across Pablo Picasso's lover, Adriana (Marion Cotillard). There is a spark that comes alive between them, and they are taken further back into time to the Belle Époque in the 1890s. The glamour of the time period fascinates Adriana, who refuses to go back to her "present day." Gil, however, quickly learns that a different time period other than the one we live in is not necessarily better. There will always be a desire and a longing for the past. Gil has desired to live in Paris in the 1920s, whereas Adriana, who lives exactly in that time period, wishes to live in Paris in the 1890s.

The theme of nostalgia is explored in a conversation towards the end of the film, as Gil (and the audience) realizes that the purpose of life is to live, and appreciate the imperfection of our own time. I hear a lot of people complaining about where they live, and they often wish they were living in a different time period -- and I'm among these people -- but this film lets us realize that it doesn't matter where and when we live.

Woody Allen makes a bold statement with this film. I'm constantly remarking that I wish I was born in 1930s, ironically the exact time period in which Woody Allen himself was born. This film speaks to those who are nostalgic and romantic at heart, who want to stay connected with the past and experience the inability to let go. The ending reminds us of Manhattan (1979), in which Isaac runs to Tracy and they confront their true feelings about each other. In Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen (played as Gil by Owen Wilson) is no longer running. Gil is no hurry. Gil simply begins a new chapter in his life and takes an evening stroll in Paris., where he bumps into a French girl named Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux). Gil wants to walk home but tells Gabrielle that perhaps it's best if they don't walk in the rain, to which she replies that she doesn't mind. This ignites a heartfelt smile on Gil's face.

Midnight in Paris is Woody Allen's most hopeful and positive ending ever. This film speaks to our deep fears and complex desires and tells us that the most important thing in life is to live. I smiled immediately at the first drop of rain, because that was the perfect conclusion for such a touching film. The simple reason we live is for that exact moment in our own lives, to find someone to walk in the rain with us, someone who doesn't mind getting a little wet.

Midnight in Paris opened the Festival de Cannes on May 11, 2011 and is scheduled for release on May 20, 2011.

24 Frames

I prefer film over digital, and always will, for emotional reasons.

I have no problem with filmmakers switching from film to digital, because such a switch is inevitable. I have heard from many filmmakers and cinematographers, including David Fincher, Roger Deakins and Gordon Willis, all of whom have said that there won't be any films being shot on film anymore in two years. I believe them, because they are the leaders in our film industry, and because it's time to think realistically; film, celluloid, and the magic behind the creation of photographs on emulsion no longer exists.

The switch over to digital is beneficial to us all, including independent filmmakers like myself who now have no excuses why they can't make a film. The cost of digital cameras is so low that we can all be filmmakers, which is both a positive and a negative, but mainly a positive because true artists can emerge without the dependance of film studios. Francis Ford Coppola said twenty years ago that "one day some little fat girl in Ohio is going to be the new Mozart, you know, and make a beautiful film with her little father's camera recorder... and for once, the so-called professionalism about movies will be destroyed, forever and it will really become an art form." Francis Ford Coppola, in my opinion, has embraced the switch to digital unlike any other filmmakers and is producing independent films that he believes in which is he able to finance on his own.

The reason, however, why I will always prefer film over digital is because I'm old fashioned. The creation of a photograph on emulsion is purely chemical, entirely enchanting, and spellbinding. There was a time when taking photographs required a lot of skill and an understanding of how to actually use a camera. In today's world, anybody can pick up a digital camera and take hundreds of photographs with a simple click. The wonderment is lost, because we're no longer taking a second glance at what we're shooting. The reason is because a digital photograph is convenient, it's pure space, whereas film required that you only take several shots on your roll of film, so you had to use your shots wisely. I feel like the same holds true with cinema. If you're shooting on digital, you can afford to let the camera run - all you're doing is wasting space on your hard drive - but with film, you're wasting a ton of money by running the camera, so you need to use your shots wisely and that's the beauty behind film, capturing what is completely necessary.

I have always said that Woody Allen, who is my favorite filmmaker and essentially my idol in terms of cinema, would never switch over to digital filmmaking. I say this not because he's better than anybody else, but because I know his method of working well. In a world driven by technology and convenience, he still writes his screenplays (one per year) on a typewriter. I don't see him switching over to digital and I always felt like he would keep shooting on film and retire with the format, especially considering that he is so late in his career. I have discovered, however, that he is considering the switch to some degree. In a recent interview, Woody Allen said the following...

“I can only say that I’m slow to change, and I’ve just now made a digital intermediate on my last picture [Midnight in Paris, a 2011 release] for the first time—a film I shot with Darius Khondji [ASC]. I know how to work the old way, and you can make some pretty lovely looking pictures that way, so I’m waiting to see now if working this new way adds anything, subtracts, or is a wash. Don’t forget, my films rarely have any special effects in them, or other kinds of stories that profit from the magic that digital work can do, and I personally have never seen the need to move forward. But it may turn out that the positives of going digital will prove beneficial, even to me.”

So, what do I think and how do I feel?

I don't want Woody Allen to switch from film to digital. I know, more than anybody else, that digital cinema is essentially as aesthetically pleasing as film is. I can't even tell the difference anymore, on certain occasions. In fact, almost all theaters around us now have switched completely over to digital screenings. I know the switch is inevitable, but I wish Woody Allen would continue until he was finally done with his career. I suppose, in a sense, having him still shoot on film keeps film that much more alive, because when he makes the switch, then film is completely dead. The birth of cinema, over a hundred of years ago, supplied us with celluloid, actual film where exposed light spilled onto the negative and chemically created an image. In today's world, and in the world I have to live in, the switch has been made. The switch has been made to digital, with a process that uses sensors to create images. The magic has been replaced.

I do think, however, that if Woody Allen makes the switch it will be purely beneficial to his career. It's tough to finance any kind of film now, especially a film of his kind, so digital filmmaking will allow him more freedom in his budget. This doesn't mean Woody Allen will be making films in any different of a way, but rather that it will be less expensive for him to make his films. This, in and of itself, translates to potentially better films and more freedom.

I can't change my mind when I think about film and digital. I know that digital is on par with film now, and I know this doesn't mean our films will look any less than they already do. I simply wish I lived and made films in a time when we were actually participating in the foundations of cinema. I saw The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) for the first time tonight, a film by Woody Allen, in which the relationship between the audience and the cinema is explored. It's a beautiful film, which is the reason why I began thinking of this topic to begin with. There are a handful of theaters around town that I frequent where I can hear the projector in the dark. I can hear the images being projected and sometimes I see them break, or jump, or burn off the screen. I love the way film looks on the screen and I love seeing the age of a film with its print. There's nothing I can do or say, but still believe in the magic, because believing in something is essentially all that's required for it to stay alive. In the hands of a talented director and cinematographer, the switch will never be made noticeable.

The magic of cinema is still lost, friends, because the illusion that the images on the screen are actually moving no longer exists. The audience is no longer sitting in the dark and watching 24 frames flicker onto the screen per second. I will, however, always feel like Cecilia (Mia Farrow) when sitting in a theater, film or digital, because the reason why I'm there is to fall in love.

Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky is the reason why I have a beard. I was first introduced to his work in high school, when I stumbled across Requiem for a Dream (2000). I was blown away by the no-nonsense approach to telling a story and quickly began investigating the bonus features on the disc. I was fascinated by the young director who, in the commentary, remarked that he would refrain from shaving until finishing production on his film. I have come to realize, since then, that some of my favorite directors have or have had beards. It's something that I have associated with all great directors, which is the simple reason why I have a beard.

I had a chance to catch an advance screening of Black Swan (2010) several months ago. I wasn't able to get in, but I did catch a peak of Darren Aronofsky just as he was about to enter. I was disappointed, until several weeks ago, when I had another opportunity to see the filmmaker in person. I had the pleasure of attending another screening of Black Swan, which was followed by a discussion with, Darren Aronofsky, the cinematographer, Matthew Libatique and the editor, Andrew Weisblum. Their discussion was followed by a screening of Pi (1998), from a brand new print of the film which looked spectacular.

I love listening to Darren Aronofsky talk and have arguably listened to every interview he has given. There was a comment from someone in the audience praising his work on The Fountain (2006), which is my favorite film of his. The discussion, however, mainly centered around Black Swan, including the performance of Natalie Portman. There was a question towards Matthew Libatique, asking if he has a "love affair" with Super 16mm, to which he replied that he loves shooting on film, period. I can't tell you how happy that makes me, as someone who prefers the look of film over digital, not to mention when a filmmaker and cinematographer take risks and shoot on a lower film stock. The evening concluded with the moderator asking Darren Aronofsky if he was in fact working on The Wolverine (2012), to which he laughed and joked, refusing to answer, as expected.

The entire audience rushed to Darren Aronofsky afterwards, demanding autographs and squeezing in on him. I don't really care for bothering such filmmakers, but I did want a simple acknowledgement. I went outside and stumbled upon Matthew Libatique, who left with the rest of us. I thanked him for coming, and he continued on and stood outside with everybody else, chatting about film. I did notice, however, that Darren Aronofsky was sitting in his car. I stood there, hoping to see him once more, and then, his chauffeur drove off right beside us. I immediately waved at him, hoping for a polite gesture back, and that's exactly what I received. Darren Aronofsky smiled and waved back. That's really everything for me, an aspiring filmmaker, who loves and appreciates his style.

Christopher Nolan discusses his best film, Memento

I remember watching Memento (2000) for the first time and having a unique experience. The entire film was backwards; however, I had to no trouble following its narrative. I felt like I was piecing together a puzzle, and felt like I was a part of the film and its structure. This had never happened before, and after watching the film, the name of its director was imprinted into my memory... Christopher Nolan.

Christopher Nolan is one of the most talented filmmakers working today, in terms of a visionary director who is a master at crafting a film. In honor of the tenth anniversary Blu-ray release of Memento, Christopher Nolan visited the Egyptian Theatre for a discussion with Guillermo del Toro.

Guillermo del Toro mentioned that he "kind of hates" him because Memento was only Christopher Nolan's second feature film. The film is a remarkable achievement for a beginning filmmaker, considering Following is a much smaller film in terms of... everything. Christopher Nolan mentioned that Ridley Scott was a significant influence on his career, most notably Inception (2010). The screenplay for Inception was written a year or two after Memento was finished, and the unconventional narrative structure was still fresh in his mind.

Christopher Nolan discussed the importance of editing process, and mentioned that they filmed a whole bunch of shots not knowing what to do with them, primarily shots of Leonardo's wife. The editor went in and put in some shots of her in the last sequence, which match cuts serves as match cuts with Leonard. This helped up the emotional impact of the story, and created an layer within the film that would later be explored in depth in Inception. In addition, the screenplay didn't have an emotional center and was written as a very "cold" story. In his opinion, Guy Pierce (who he was reluctant to cast because he was much younger than he had imagined) was the one who brought the emotional center of the story to the character.

There were some difficulties in finding a distributor, as many studios did not feel like there was an audience for this film. Christopher Nolan also said that Quentin Tarantino was an influence on him because he inspired him to read crime novels and stories, which became the basis for his film. In his opinion, the film holds up ten years later because he was inspired by novels and stories rather than films, which is why he feels films like Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994) are more "retro."

There was also some discussion about "Memento Mori," the original short story his brother, Jonathan Nolan, was writing prior to the making of the film. The film, however, was filmed and edited before the story was finished. Christopher Nolan discussed the reason why, claiming that he was able to make the story of the film subjective before his brother.

I have always wanted to see Christopher Nolan in person, especially after seeing Memento for the first time. There's something humble and honest about him, even though he has the entire Batman franchise sitting on his shoulders. There's no question that he has come a long way in the past ten years, and become one of the most in demand filmmakers working today. I was blown away by Memento years ago, and his name has stuck ever since. Christopher Nolan is one of the few filmmakers whose name we can mention today and audiences will immediately trust his work... and that's admirable.