My documentary (UPDATE: DVD now available)

[Martin]

EDIT: This old topic got BUMPED on Nov 17, 2011 because of the DVD release of this movie -- see this post for more details.

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So after months of back-and-forths and various (at times seemingly endless) negotiations between backers and production companies, the documentary I'm working on, The Film I'm No Longer Talking About (orig. Filmen jag inte längre pratar om), has finally gotten proper funding from among others the Swedish Film Institute (SFI) and Swedish Public Television (SVT). It will be shown under SVT's prestigous "K Special" banner, which broadcasts hour-long documentaries about arts and culture, sometime in the first quarter of 2009. We've known for some time that SVT wanted to show it, but without funds from the SFI we would have to finish it without hiring a professional editor, we would possibly have to cut filming short, etc. This really gives us room to breathe. The news of the funding actually made some headlines - my partner-in-crime Jesper's latest feature film was quite a phenomenon here in Sweden, and people are excited to hear about his next project.

We're far from done, though - we have a couple more days of shooting this summer before devoting most of the fall to editing and promoting it (I will do much of the latter). Hope to get everything sorted by October-November.

Short synopsis: The film starts at the end of the dot com frenzy in 2001. A young man called Patrick finds himself a millionaire simply by being at the right place at the right time, and after working on the Lord of the Rings movies in New Zealand he decides that producing movies is what he should do. He starts up a (by Swedish standards) massive feature film project basically from scratch, summoning talented friends, not-so-talented friends, hangarounds and the odd professional to join the fun. He gets money from his dot com buddies. He starts to build a sound stage and a production company, purposefully way out of the way of the regular movie industry. And it all goes to hell. Friendships crash, people go bankrupt, the company goes belly-up. The movie is no more. Patrick hits rock bottom, he can't look people in the eye, everybody around him is in debt - his parents, his friends. He messed up.

Fast forward to 2007. We catch up with Patrick when he finally is about to rid himself of his enormous debt. He still wants to make movies, but goes about it in a completely different way - more humbly, and with smaller stakes. He's disillusioned, but he's still dreaming.

In lieu of a proper trailer (which I will provide as soon as we have one), please enjoy this teaser trailer we put together a couple of weeks ago. It features none other than yours truly:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/yg35y8

Sorry for the self-indulgence, I just wanted to share this. I'm pretty excited.

[Sarah]

Very happy for you, crimestick!  No wonder you're giddy.  Congratulations.

[Josh]

GOOD GUYS sWedIeN!


(the best I could do)

[A.M. Thomas]

Congratulations crimestick!

Where was that filmed?  It looks like South Dakota.

Besides acting in the film, did you also direct or write it?

[buffcoat]

Fantastic, 'Stick!

[Martin]

It's a documentary, so there's not much Acting going on in the film (even though it features plenty of hams). I'm not even in it that much, the teaser was made as something to feed the people who kept asking us about it. (It's shot in the desert outside Las Vegas, Nevada.)

I co-write and co-direct the documentary with my friend Jesper. We (the entire crew consists basically of the two of us) prefer to spit responsibilities like this: he's the Producer, I'm the Editor (in the newspaper sense, cause that's where I'm from). Jesper also serves as DP.

[Spoony]

I'm really happy for you. The money and distribution is the hardest part of these things. The paper work is intimidating. I can't imagine what a relief it is to finally realize your vision like this.

[yesno]

It's a documentary, so there's not much Acting going on in the film (even though it features plenty of hams). I'm not even in it that much, the teaser was made as something to feed the people who kept asking us about it. (It's shot in the desert outside Las Vegas, Nevada.)

I thought you just went to Vegas because you were a millionaire jet setter.

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

Looks awesome, Crimestick.  Keep us appraised of any NY area screenings.

[iAmBaronVonTito]

im jealous.  in a good way.

con.grat.ulations.  crimstick.  how do you say this in swedish...gratulationer?

[Martin]

Gratulationer is very formal. Usually you just say grattis.

Thanks for all the encouraging words, guys.

[Dorvid Barnas]

A part of me hopes it's just you silently wandering around the desert for a couple of hours, like that movie Gerry. 
The shot in the teaser looks lovely!  Which camera did you use?

I'm very happy for you and, like a previous poster, more than a bit envious.

Keep us posted!

[Miss]

congratulations, buddy.

[Martin]

The shot in the teaser looks lovely!  Which camera did you use?

We've been using a Panasonic P2 for most of the shoot, including the desert stuff, but for the last couple of weeks we've been using the much talked-about Red One, with simply breathtaking results. The only reason we didn't use the Red sooner was cause it took forever to be delivered.

[Spoony]

Did you have to rent it?