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The Technical Crew
supporting the 24P HD systems that made the
5 days be enough include Tom Talbot, Director
of Sales for Rule Broadcast Systems, and Steve
Dirksmeier and Bob Molczan, both of Sony Electronics.
Bob Molczan of Sony
Electronics, Joel Walker from Element Productions,
and Zbyszek Twarog, Chief Engineer for Rule
Broadcast Systems in Newport, RI for the production
of 5 Days til Sunday.
Part of the team that
made it happen in five days!Eran Lobel, Executive
Producer; Leif Husted-Jensen, Director/Cinematographer;
Libby Langdon, Lead Actress; Chet Harding, Lead
Actor; and Steph Accetta, Producer. Photo courtesy
of Element Producitons.
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"Make a movie," said the sign. "Come
pitch your ideas for a short film," it encouraged.
Even the rest of the announcement, which invited participants
to persuade the director and production team to work
with their idea and to bring along props, location
ideas, motivations, conflicts and a personal cinematic
vision was intriguing. The meeting was scheduled for
Tuesday, June 5th, in the Newport International Film
Festival Office, at 2:00 PM.
What wasn't immediately clear was
that the film had to be completed by Sunday, the last
day of the festival and it was that very idea that
the creative team from Element Productions found so
intriguing. The challenge of 5 days in which to create
a story line, select talent, scout, shoot, edit, score
and screen the film was appealing to director and
cinematographer Leif Husted-Jensen, producer Steph
Accetta, editor David Bigelow and executive producer
Eran Lobel. They embraced the idea of creating a quality
film in so short a time frame.
"Life without risk is dull," Lobel
said. "Making a movie, taking on a challenge like
this is risky but bringing on professionals to make
it happen reduces the risk."
Lobel, Husted-Jensen, Acetta and
Bigelow tackled what they called a "suicide mission"
and agreed to make a film in 5 days. The reputation
of Element Productions for turning out quality TV
commercials and documentaries transferred into making
a quality film on an impossibly tight schedule. The
title of the film came to them because they really
only had the 5 days to Sunday and each time they mouthed
the words, their "adrenaline shot up." But all along
what they agreed on was the need to maintain the quality
of the project, true to the concept. Despite the time
restriction, they insisted that it had to be "creatively
a masterpiece," down to the music, which was scored
by rock musician Nuno Bettencourt and his band from
New York, while the film was being edited.
"Part of our interest in doing this
film was to support the Newport Film Festival, a young
festival," said Lobel. "We are a young company and
want to see start-ups like the Woods Hole and Nantucket
festivals thrive."
The film they presented had a plot
that incorporated a dog, a snooty NY couple, and an
Arab bartender who is passed off by the couple as
a "director guy" so that they can be part of the movers
and shakers at the NIFF. Having met him at a party,
Lobel even convinced veteran actor Lee Majors to appear
in a cameo role.
"The real star of the production
was the effectiveness of the team and it was very
exciting to see the result of the Sony 24P HD camera
that John Rule lent us," said Lobel. "It is a revolutionary
advancement that gives video a film look. We couldn't
have done this any other way, without the uncompressed
Sony editing system and without the help of the two
technicians that came with the camera and the edit
system."
John Rule, of Rule Broadcast Systems
in Watertown, was happy to help. Rule has been renting
equipment for production and post-production to the
industry for the past 11 years. He decided to go to
NIFF because he correctly predicted that equipment
like the Sony 24P HD would be a totally viable alternative
to film and he is excited about addressing the indie
film market.
"Let's see. I have known Eran Lobel
for about 15 years and his is one of the premier film
production companies in town," said Rule. "I wanted
him to be excited by the 24 P, to immerse himself
in that world. If he was willing to embark on this
insane idea, to do this in 5 days, I may have expanded
the insanity by offering him a medium he never used
before but I really wanted to support him."
His fondness for Lobel is coupled
with his admiration for Lobel's "being like a little
kid, racing down a hill on a bike, knowing he might
crash but still having no fear, nary a thought to
consequences."
And fortunately for the world, the
little kid does not crash and, with his team, goes
on to produce gems like FIVE DAYS TO SUNDAY.
| FIVE DAYS TO SUNDAY successfully
screened that Sunday afternoon, complete and on
time for festivalgoers to revel in the accomplishment.
And what's more, it was accompanied by a 20-minute
documentary that covered the making and showing
a film in five days that even included my feet
standing in line in front of the Jane Pickens
Theatre while waiting to see the film, and Julie
Weinberg introducing the film in the theater!
I was impressed. The audience loved the outrageous
story that so well related to many festival experiences.
Congratulations to cast, crew, creative and technical
support, and to the Newport International Film
Festival Directors for their clever demonstration
of courage. Well done! And
here's how you do. PUB |
