2008 March
Friday, March 21st, 2008
by Kevin K. Shah
We are having our publicity interviews with Larry and Martie in early April. Would love to include any questions that anyone would like us to ask them - about the story, character, process, etc.
We’re also going to be doing some promotional short-shorts, which should be fun. Sam and Kester may be able to make it out for the shoot as well, so it will be a mini-reunion.
Both Martie and Larry have expressed the desire to work with sabi again, and both are available (and highly recommended) for others projects as well. Their talents will be showcased in the upcoming release …
Friday, March 21st, 2008
by Kevin K. Shah
We recently had the great pleasure of watching Arthur Miller’s scorching play “The Death of a Salesman” , directed by Larry Strauss and starring John Perak as Willy Loman and Jeanne Sanner as Linda. The play was produced by Sheila Bialka. The performances and stage direction was terrific, and the actors didn’t pull any punches. Larry’s direction was superb, and the cast that he assembled was a knockout. During the Q&A the effect that the show had on the audience was clear. There was a member of the audience that had never seen a play before and was simply stunned. To see where these senior actors took the roles and the characters was nothing short of courageous. The show took place at Laguna Woods Village, in an 800 seat theater (that will also be private preview-screening White Knuckles in a couple months — Many thanks to Sheila for helping to organize).
Larry also described the film to the audience, and gave White Knuckles a very nice plug in the play bill. For me, it was really special to see Larry exploring his art, and furthering his talents - and putting on (as always) a good show…
Thursday, March 20th, 2008
by Kevin K. Shah
Friends of WK,
I had the great fortune of seeing Sue Gaetzman (who plays Dora) yesterday. Sue is another one of our ‘first choice selects’ for the casting of White Knuckles (we got very lucky).
It was so good to see her, we shared Mediterranean food from the Farmer’s Market. Of course, she’s still the same old fantastic spunky Sue! Though she has been battling cancer since we wrapped White Knuckles and is currently in treatment, I’m happy to report that she is in good spirits, her soul is healthy and strong, and she gives her blessings to our labor of love & says hi to everyone.
I hope to post some words from Sue on this thread shortly — because of the situation right now, we are expediting her ability to watch the film immediately.
She mentioned to me to share with all of us that worked on White Knuckles - that to her - the process of White Knuckles was the most fulfilling creative role she’s every had, and she felt liberated to explore her character within the zone we created together.
I’m looking forward to hearing more of her thoughts on the experience, which we will share with everyone.
Indeed Sue’s performance from her audition to her wrap was nothing short of stunning, she was & is Dora. The character of Dora in White Knuckles is a key supporting role. She is a widower and a friend of Julie, who is living a life of joy & romance and warmth that is in far contrast to Julie’s world.
It was as if the character was always written for Sue, as she is warm & spiritual & loving – and knows more about Dora than we could ever. Sue, with her real and heartfelt performance, has given life to Dora and so the story of White Knuckles forever.
Our thoughts and our deepest prayers are with her in this time, and if you would like to post a message for Sue on this thread, please do so - as she will be checking the forum periodically & we will give her updates on all things said here.
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
by Kevin K. Shah
Lucas Cheadle is a first-class sabi a.d.
he came aboard white knuckles early in our casting process, and though he’s a natural born musician (bass) he is also an a.d. that creates the perfect vibrations on set - as he certainly did with White Knuckles.
it’s important in dramatic improvisation for the actors to have the support they need while working with the director, and vice-versa. Lucas was the glue that held the relationship together. Lucas ran the set in a manner that was conducive to creative dialogue both on camera between the actors, and off camera between the filmmakers.
He’s always ‘cool’ approach to everything reminds me of many of the qualities of the best A.D. in the business (in my opinion) David Webb. Lucas filled many more roles that simply A.D. and if you look closely, he also makes a brief appearance in the film.
Would love to hear others thoughts and memories about Lucas Cheadle A.D. extraordinaire.
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008
by Kevin K. Shah
White Knuckles was born out of a deep desire to explore a story with a group of artists through the collaborative medium of film – and to explore it as much as possible while the story is happening – while it’s on its feet in production – while the characters fully inhabit the actors.
The means of accomplishing this would be a team of artists that could invest themselves personally in the shared vision of the project, and could work as a unified whole that could shift, adapt and adjust whenever the story changed based on the flexible nature of capturing dramatic improvisation. This could only be accomplished by maintaining a collective atmosphere of safety and trust with the crew, filmmakers and the cast. An atmosphere where the actors could feel like they can fully explore their characters without any judgments or self-direction. A creative space where the actors can go deeper in the improvisational present moment, and the filmmakers and the crew can support and guide them along. A truly interdependent process where there are no idle hands on set – a place where everyone is involved, and each member on the production is truly critical.
With White Knuckles, we wanted to see what would happen if we wrote a script and then took it away at some point during production – when the film begins to breathe on its own. We wanted to see “what happens with the characters” and we wanted to see “where will the story go?” It was in a large part about curiousity. Though we had a screenplay that would be great to shoot - we thought that perhaps guiding the improvisation initially, we could fully let go later and produce real surprises and true-to-life dialogue and moments that could not have otherwise been planned.
To do this in a drama that goes to the places White Knuckles does - it took the safety net of the rest of the cast and crew to make this work. Really, it took each other – and every individual working together as a unified whole to make this real “Interdependent” film happen.
There is a point in every soulful, artful film production where the actors seem to fully inhabit the characters, sooner or later. On set, sometimes this happens early – other times certain key aspects of the character emerge later depending on the circumstance. But ultimately – there is a collaborative search for truth that makes ‘a film by Sabi Pictures’ – and if the film is honest (as I believe White Knuckles is) than perhaps it will be blessed to find its audience.
It is a rare group of talented filmmakers that converged to create White Knuckles. And what we have in this film, is in my humble opinion, a true example of interdependent filmmaking. As filmmakers - we all simply wanted to be able to let go of pages and pre-conceived notions and rather listen very closely to what comes out of (and what comes from within the soul) of the character. We wanted to hear an authentic voice, and wanted to see the story that was the deeper, more meaningful, more real version (than the duplication of the intentions on the page). We want to see the sum that is greater than it’s parts – a piece of real art emerging from our collective creative contributions together.
This is ultimately the collective desire of a collaborative group of artists working on an Interdependent Film. Interdependent Filmmaking is the kind of filmmaking where one uses “us” and “we” and “our” more often than they use “I” when describing the process of making that film. We think that White Knuckles is unique because of the interdependent nature of the shoot. The WK website’s “Creative” section details examples of how many of us together collaborated on this film, and there will also be some behind the scenes posted to get a look at the faces that made it happen.
As with every interdependent film, there are so many hands on the work that it is hard to summarize or describe the process of each member that took part – but each person’s contribution made the film possible. And though the credits on the film will generally reveal every person’s name that contributed – there are so many more roles that were filled by each member than can possibly be listed.
Calling White Knuckles and interdependent film is a way to say Thank You – to acknowledge that the film could not be possible without the entire interwoven web of creative contributions, a network of interdependent people, that all get behind one idea. It’s a beautiful thing when it works, and it is the most fulfilling kind of filmmaking. And Interdependent Filmmaking is the evolution of the art form, in my humble opinion.
I’m honored to have been a part of this process at Sabi Pictures. Sure it is an ever-changing and an ever-evolving process with each new story - but the unique way of making each film bears one thing in common between everything we’ve made: there is simply no room and no time for inflated egos when a group of artists want to venture into the great unknown of making a film together. There is only room to learn from one another, for true collaboration, for support of each other under any circumstance, and for the collective desire to see the story through to the end no matter what.
We had a very talented group of individuals that came together to bring you the interdependent film White Knuckles – as well as Heart of Now. We guided the stories to the end rather than pushed them, and what resulted from the process thus far may move you, and perhaps even surprise you.
Kevin K. Shah
Interdependent Filmmaker from White Knuckles
