The Sonnyboo Reader
Jan 2006 edition
I haven't done one of these in a long while. Post production on the feature have superceded any short film work or promotion, and yet things still happen in the world of Sonnyboo & the short films. It's great when marketing of films become self perpetuating. I'm happy to see that people are interested in the old works as well as the new.
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IFILM.COM is playing the trailer for HORRORS OF WAR.
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2354099
On Monday, January 23rd, they will be adding it to the home page of Ifilm.com where they average several million hits per day. This is another major coup for Horrors of War and we are proud that we got approached to have the trailer on their site in every format there is on the web.
Post production compelted in December 2005 for the first feature film Horrors of War, see http://www.horrorsofwarmovie.com for more.
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NEW SCREEN TV is showing several Sonnyboo shorts on their channel in Orlando Florida, starting with THE LINE OF MASCULINITY on January 25th @ 7:PM
http://www.newscreen.tv/Pages/Schedule/a_week/3_wednesday.html
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GOOGLE VIDEO
Google Video has selected & are now playing several Sonnyboo.com shorts
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-210262691513088825&q=sonnyboo
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CNET.COM's DOWNLOADS VIDEO
CNET's Video Downloads has selected & are now playing several Sonnyboo.com shorts
http://video.download.com/3800-11164_53-8410.html?tag=vdl_cntnt_col1_rslt_name
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POPCAST.COM
Now broadcasting 4 channels of Sonnyboo entertainment.
http://www.popcast.com/channels/Sonnyboo_Classics
http://www.popcast.com/channels/Horrors_of_War__movie_info
http://www.popcast.com/channels/Sketchcetera
http://www.popcast.com/channels/The_Sonnyboo_Dramas
Popcast is a Peer to Peer torrent based exchange of shows & "channels" of videos on the web. Joe Johnston, creator of OHIOFILMVIDEO.COM is behind this ambitious project called Popcast.com
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More WEB DOCS & INDIE FILM TIPS
http://www.horrorsofwarmovie.com/webdocs.php
Tips on editing, ADR, and more, plus some honst looks at the process of making a feature film with DVD style content.
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UNDERNEATH CINCINNATI
Sonnyboo's THE LINE OF MASCULINITY has been selected as one of the "2005 Best of Underneath Cincinnati" and will screen in competition
2005 Best of Underneath
Friday, February 24th, 2006 @ the Contemporary Arts Center
Doors open at 6pm, show starts at 7pm
Tickets are available through the CAC box office or call (513)345-8405
$10 in advance, $12 at the door
http://www.underneathcincinnati.com
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INDEPENDENT FILM CHANNEL's MEDIA LAB
http://medialab.ifc.com/index.jsp
Several Sonnyboo shorts will be in competition with the IFC MEDIA LAB, and congrats to John Whitney for having his short PASSION selected as one of the shorts to be used as promo on the network and also on the site for IFC. Kudos for a kick ass short.
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DRINK IT UP! www.Sonnyboo.com
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Monday, January 16, 2006
The Day or Two After
Monday January 16th, 2006
The Day or Two After
Saturday night we did the cast & crew, non-public screening of Horrors of War in it’s final state from the digibeta master tape no less at the Screens movie theatre. It was a rocking good time. My mother said she was proud of me… of course to several other people, but not me. Hey, it’s progress.
John Whitney and Jon Osbeck did the intro for the show. I was in the projection booth starting the movie & turning down the house lights. I had two distinctive flashbacks. The first was back to my movie theatre projectionist days that don’t seem like it, but were over 15 years ago. The second was to a rather unpleasant memory in May 2002 when I screened NEW WORLD and had to sit in the projection booth the entire time and miss the experience of watching a movie with an audience. At this level, even now, this does NOT happen every day. Getting the opportunity to see your movie on the big screen with an audience needs to be relished and savored. I ran down & got into the theatre, but the memory is now a little marred because I wasn’t in the room when my own goddamn movie started.
I sat in the front row alone and watched Horrors of War for the first time in a long while. I don’t think I will ever be able to divorce myself 100% from the making of it, but this was pretty close. I was far more aware of what people were feeling and reacting to. From making some characters empathetic and others detestable, I feel we really did the story justice. There was a lot more laughs than I remember, but maybe you get a little numb to jokes because they aren’t funny to you after 1,193 viewings in a little window inside Avid. Brandy’s scene was excruciating to watch for the first time since we shot it, since there was the emotional context of the audience seeing my Brandy get attacked unexpectantly.
At the end, I was supposed to make remarks as well, but I was in the projection booth. I grabbed Dave Lee, a friend of John Whitney’s and showed him how to raise the lights when the end credits finished. To him I will not forget this small favor that seems nothing, but means the world to me. I was able to be there when the lights came up and walk down to the front of the theatre.
First Phil spoke and got some thanks out. We had a room of 300+ people. Then I tried to make with the funny & say I was shy and don’t like public speaking. I actually don’t but no one will believe me. All I said, and I had planned this for weeks was, “We did this.” I said it over and over again, each time louder. “WE did this.” Of all the arrogance I am accused of, I spoke from my heart and wanted everyone to know that I didn’t make this film, even though it says “a Whitney/Ross film” that it was OUR film. WE all did this. I don’t care if someone was a PA for one day, they contributed. It doesn’t matter if they showed up once and never came back, they were a part of the making of the movie. Scott Spears drove home to me that film is a collaborative art, and I believe that this is very true. A feature film results from the collective contributions of many and that is what shapes it into the final mold. We would not have had the movie we have if not for the generous contributions of everyone involved.
I have a paranoia (thanks to The Derek) about any public speaking I do now. The Derek overslept & didn’t even make it to the screening, but I was still overly sensitive about saying anything. I wanted to convey my gratitude, but I also wanted everyone to feel pride in what we did. I put all my feeling and heart into saying over and over – WE DID THIS. I got louder as I got no reaction until people started to applaud. I am proud of the movie and everyone involved.
For the most part, I truly believe we exceeded most people’s expectations for the film. I don’t know what they were expecting, but it was definitely better than they thought it would be. I have been happy with the movie for a while. I’m not delusional, it’s still flawed. I’m not blind either, as this movie will be a hit on DVD and maybe the Sci Fi channel, but not going to be some huge indie theatrical cult-hit like Clerks or anything. It’s a good, fun B-movie, and that’s what we set out to make, and that’s what we have. I couldn’t ask for more.
Many people said some weighty things to me.
That’s a WHOA for me on all counts.
We went on over to Rush Creek Sports Bar to hang out after and have some appetizers and drinks. Well over a 100 people came over and continued the buzz and celebration. I made my way around the room a bit and talked to most people as best I could. I hope no one feels snubbed or left out.
My mind is still a bit blown, as is my voice. I knew I had some level of closure because I was able to sleep in past 12:Noon, and I haven’t slept past 9:AM in months. I went over to my family afterwards, only to find both my parents raving about the screening to disinterested siblings of mine. It was surprising, even though it was my own birthday party (an early one).
Summing up, cast & crew screenings are always skewed. It also doesn’t matter. Sitting in a dark room with a bunch of strangers watching a story unfold 24 frames per second is it’s own reward. I feel sorry for the people who don’t get it or don’t have THAT as their primary motivation, since they will never connect with an audience well.
-Ross
2006 THE YEAR THAT THE BOO GOES BIG
The Day or Two After
Saturday night we did the cast & crew, non-public screening of Horrors of War in it’s final state from the digibeta master tape no less at the Screens movie theatre. It was a rocking good time. My mother said she was proud of me… of course to several other people, but not me. Hey, it’s progress.
John Whitney and Jon Osbeck did the intro for the show. I was in the projection booth starting the movie & turning down the house lights. I had two distinctive flashbacks. The first was back to my movie theatre projectionist days that don’t seem like it, but were over 15 years ago. The second was to a rather unpleasant memory in May 2002 when I screened NEW WORLD and had to sit in the projection booth the entire time and miss the experience of watching a movie with an audience. At this level, even now, this does NOT happen every day. Getting the opportunity to see your movie on the big screen with an audience needs to be relished and savored. I ran down & got into the theatre, but the memory is now a little marred because I wasn’t in the room when my own goddamn movie started.
I sat in the front row alone and watched Horrors of War for the first time in a long while. I don’t think I will ever be able to divorce myself 100% from the making of it, but this was pretty close. I was far more aware of what people were feeling and reacting to. From making some characters empathetic and others detestable, I feel we really did the story justice. There was a lot more laughs than I remember, but maybe you get a little numb to jokes because they aren’t funny to you after 1,193 viewings in a little window inside Avid. Brandy’s scene was excruciating to watch for the first time since we shot it, since there was the emotional context of the audience seeing my Brandy get attacked unexpectantly.
At the end, I was supposed to make remarks as well, but I was in the projection booth. I grabbed Dave Lee, a friend of John Whitney’s and showed him how to raise the lights when the end credits finished. To him I will not forget this small favor that seems nothing, but means the world to me. I was able to be there when the lights came up and walk down to the front of the theatre.
First Phil spoke and got some thanks out. We had a room of 300+ people. Then I tried to make with the funny & say I was shy and don’t like public speaking. I actually don’t but no one will believe me. All I said, and I had planned this for weeks was, “We did this.” I said it over and over again, each time louder. “WE did this.” Of all the arrogance I am accused of, I spoke from my heart and wanted everyone to know that I didn’t make this film, even though it says “a Whitney/Ross film” that it was OUR film. WE all did this. I don’t care if someone was a PA for one day, they contributed. It doesn’t matter if they showed up once and never came back, they were a part of the making of the movie. Scott Spears drove home to me that film is a collaborative art, and I believe that this is very true. A feature film results from the collective contributions of many and that is what shapes it into the final mold. We would not have had the movie we have if not for the generous contributions of everyone involved.
I have a paranoia (thanks to The Derek) about any public speaking I do now. The Derek overslept & didn’t even make it to the screening, but I was still overly sensitive about saying anything. I wanted to convey my gratitude, but I also wanted everyone to feel pride in what we did. I put all my feeling and heart into saying over and over – WE DID THIS. I got louder as I got no reaction until people started to applaud. I am proud of the movie and everyone involved.
For the most part, I truly believe we exceeded most people’s expectations for the film. I don’t know what they were expecting, but it was definitely better than they thought it would be. I have been happy with the movie for a while. I’m not delusional, it’s still flawed. I’m not blind either, as this movie will be a hit on DVD and maybe the Sci Fi channel, but not going to be some huge indie theatrical cult-hit like Clerks or anything. It’s a good, fun B-movie, and that’s what we set out to make, and that’s what we have. I couldn’t ask for more.
Many people said some weighty things to me.
Quote: from ______ on 1:22 am on Jan. 15, 2006
“Do you see all the people in this room? You made all their dreams come true.”
[/quote]
Quote: from ______ on 12:20 am on Jan. 15, 2006
“When you first approached me about investing in a movie, I won’t lie to you, I thought you were nuts. I never thought you could pull it off.”
Quote: from ______ on 2:22 am on Jan. 15, 2006
“There were a lot more explosions and pyro than I thought a low budget movie could have.”
Quote: from ______ on 12:59 am on Jan. 15, 2006
“You really did it. Everyone else talks about making movies and you actually do it.”
Quote: from ______ on 1:15 am on Jan. 15, 2006
“I think these people would have followed you anywhere. You are the reason they worked so hard. They made this movie for you.”
Quote: from ______ on 11:39 pm on Jan. 14, 2006
“I thought you said what needed to be said. There’s always the fear that when you thank people, you’ll leave someone out or someone will inevitably feel left out, but you made everyone feel like they were important.”
[quote] Quote: from ______ on 4:14 am on Jan. 15, 2006
“You were like a basketball coach getting everyone psyched after the state championship game and we all won.”
That’s a WHOA for me on all counts.
We went on over to Rush Creek Sports Bar to hang out after and have some appetizers and drinks. Well over a 100 people came over and continued the buzz and celebration. I made my way around the room a bit and talked to most people as best I could. I hope no one feels snubbed or left out.
My mind is still a bit blown, as is my voice. I knew I had some level of closure because I was able to sleep in past 12:Noon, and I haven’t slept past 9:AM in months. I went over to my family afterwards, only to find both my parents raving about the screening to disinterested siblings of mine. It was surprising, even though it was my own birthday party (an early one).
Summing up, cast & crew screenings are always skewed. It also doesn’t matter. Sitting in a dark room with a bunch of strangers watching a story unfold 24 frames per second is it’s own reward. I feel sorry for the people who don’t get it or don’t have THAT as their primary motivation, since they will never connect with an audience well.
-Ross
2006 THE YEAR THAT THE BOO GOES BIG
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