Last Post

I've compiled a small lists of my final reflections for this semester, as I inch closer and closer to gradumacation.

1. I love film in all aspects. Storytelling, documentary, experimental, motion, animation, cameras, writing. Every part of the process.
2. I love this area and the community that stands behind it whether it's for small business, local foods, film or art, this is a very special place to me.
3. The creatively cooperative process of 495 is one of the best aspects about it. The fact that we are all working together on each others projects and are invited into the story world of each director is an amazing process and something I thoroughly enjoyed this semester. Our film would not be where it is now without the support and feedback from our class. I hope mine was just as effective.
4. I have met some amazing people working on this film. Real industry workers who bust their ass to do what they love and work in the industry. I enjoyed meeting those workers very much, and I look forward to hearing more of their stories as I continue to work in this industry.
5. I don't want to go on for too long, but I think a great summarizing statement for our film, and my time at UNCW is this:

"If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life." I could not have said it any better.

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Connor H. Buss

2nd to last post

The coolest thing about this project so far is how many people have gotten involved to support our film. It's easy to see that this is an important topic for our area and that the people of this area care about the film incentive. From donating money on IndieGOGO to donating time to help with the production, I am amazed at the overwhelming support for this documentary. As we near into the official premiere at Satellite tomorrow, I'm reminded of how amazing this film community really is. It doesn't matter if it's a student film or a feature blockbuster, the community is behind it. Always.

I love this area and have never thought more seriously about settling here than after this semester. Not only do I think I can make a name for myself and at some point a career, but I'm happy here. I've settled in and don't have any reason to leave!

As we begin to wrap production of Keep It Rolling, I continue my hope that this will be an advocacy piece, that it will positively effect legislation and make the Film Incentive a permanent element of our state's legislature. I am very happy with my work and the role I played in creating this piece of art, but I would be nowhere without the community of support that surrounds me. Thank You NC Film, thank you very much.

Deadline Approaching

As our deadline approaches and we gear up for our last round of feedback at the EOY screenings, I have just one fear that seems to grow every day...

JUST KIDDING! We'll be polishing up this weekend and ready to turn in on Monday! PUMPED! Happy Friday!

Other projects in the class updates

A Brewing Community-Zach's doc has really started to take shape and it gets more fun everytime I watch it. I love how Zach uses music in his films to create a mood, usually positive, and really bring you into the story. I can't wait to see MORE BEER!
People Like You-Whitney's style and humor definitely comes out in her animation and I love the balance of absurdity and parody that Whitney paints in her story. Her simplistic animation style is super fun too. An awesome short that I can't wait to see the final!
The List-What a talented animator James is! His thirst for life shines through his mini animation about crossing things off your bucket list. I love it and I love his animations style. His color palette is welcoming and inspiring and his use of sound and motion creates an awesome atmosphere for the entire sequence. James took this project head on even though he knew it would require A LOT of work! But he killed it and I know the final will be even better!
Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman-This film, similarly to ours, has definitely come a long way since our original pitches. Kateland has definitely dug deep into the soul's of these young artists and really has engaged herself in their passion. It's really awesome because Kateland uses her skills or portraying a subject to portray a subject that portrays another subject! I know! Crazy! But their film has improved so much since the preliminary cuts we watched, I can't wait to see the final! Docs rule!
Estranged-Jessica's project was the project I was most tentative about understanding when we first had class but after seeing multiple cuts, I know this project has meant a lot to Jess and that her final showing will be very powerful. From Jess' color blending flashbacks to her heartfelt, gripping interview footage, I think everybody at The Black Sheep is in for a surprise. I know I'll be able to feel every ounce of Jess' passion for this project during the installation.
Killing a Southern Belle-I love Mars' writing and the humor that comes through it, and I've been a supporter of his installation from the beginning. His writing cracks me up for a lot of reasons, but I think Mars' take on natural conversation really brings a lot of humor to his characters. I know I'll be pretty engaged in his installation but I also can't wait to laugh my ass off!!!

HICCUPS cont...

7.  Be proactive in your documentary production. Never expect support. As a matter of fact, you should accept the fact that at first, nobody will support you! That will push you harder to create a better film and generate support for it
8. Actors are awesome people to work for, most of the time. I've learned from three different actors and a acting teacher/actor that they are some really genuine people, if they are in the industry for the right reasons. I think Wilmington actors are different from Hollywood actors. They definitely are.
9. Sometimes you have to negotiate with your team. As somebody who's had a lot of creative control in past projects, this was the first time I really had to sit back and let somebody else's visions take the wheel for a little. It was refreshing perspective. Good to learn for the real world.
10. Never, ever say you will "fix it in post." Fix it now. RIGHT NOW!


With a few more posts to go this semester, I'm sure there will be other hiccups along the way. Not a bad thing, probably one of the most important things!

Until next time...

Hiccups...

All productions come almost undoubtedly with some hiccups along the way. After all the successes we've had with our film so far, it's important to note that we have had a couple new learning experiences to take away from the film. I will highlight a few here now.

1. Kinos light almost any interview exceptionally well. Less is more when it comes to interviews, unless you're going for an extremely dramatic lighting set up. Kinos provide an awesome soft light on a subject. Perfect.
2. Always check your monitor mix in your headphones. We almost blew two interviews because the monitor mix was off, and that fucked up our levels pretty bad. Luckily, our boom channel was in range and saved our lives and we were able to rehoot the other interview. But always have a back up channel for safety and triple check your monitor mix.
3. If you are ever reframing the camera during an interview, do it when the subject is not talking. It's very hard to cut away or hide the camera movement when a subject is mid sentence. I learned this the hard way and got some pretty appropriate criticism from it.
4. Always be succinct when cutting. Communicate with everybody involved and let them know you're cutting before you do so everybody can be in sync. This will help immensely with post-production.
5. Piano music
6. Closer is always better, unless you have kick ass mise-en-scene. This project has helped me realize the power of close-ups. They are awesome. Fucking awesome.

7. To be continued...

Trailer Cut!

 Never got around to posting the cut of our trailer. Sarah showed this as part of her project pitch at the River Run Film Festival in Winston-Salem and it got some awesome feedback from the panel, including actor Bill Pullman! Check it oooutt!

Production Update For April

Slowly but surely, our film has finally come together. What started as a simple idea has taken many different directions and transformed a couple of different times, but we are finally putting something together that we're really proud of. This month consisted of lots of shooting, editing, a proposal from Sarah at River Run Film Festival, visiting student productions to get onset b-roll, and speaking with some of the most passionate film industry professionals that I have ever spoke to. As the anticipation grows for the end of the semester screenings, I'm eager to collect feedback about the film and find ways we can improve it for festival and web release. The support behind us so far has just been simply amazing and it seems like there are plenty of other people who want this film to be made. That's extremely refreshing for me but also makes me a little nervous. I hope I can live up to their expectations but at the same time, I know this film will speak volumes about the importance of the NC Film Tax Incentive.

Visions Response

My second year of Visions attendance brought a refreshing perspective to filmmaking and film scholarship as an influence in my life. I was extremely thrilled to attend for the second year in a row, especially seeing a fresh round of filmmaking and scholars present the work they were so passionate about. As much as I enjoy seeing the films, especially Win or Lose, which was my favorite, I found myself especially intrigued during the first conference block. 4 students presented incredibly interesting topics from a variety of concentrations and genres. Christopher LeMaire from the University of Florida actually single handedly convinced me to start watching True Detective! But I enjoyed his presentation of the detective series genre. His point that all detectives become obsessed and truly engrossed in their cases becomes evident every time I watch a show like that now. Not only was his presentation impressive, but the kid was a freshman in college and he is already presenting papers at a conference! Extremely admirable and that pushes me to submit more of my work to these conferences and publications. I also enjoyed Caleb’s presentation immensely. His passion for what he was presenting on really shone through the entire time he was speaking and you could really get a sense for how he felt about the subject. I don’t know much about Warhol, but Caleb’s presentation of his cinematic style intrigued me enough to find out more about him. I think the most significant aspect of Visions for me was the opportunity to get a refreshing filmic experience, to be influenced by the cinematic passions of other individuals in a comfortable environment. I’m really hoping to take this experience outside the academic setting and into my professional career. Its crucial to have influences as a filmmaker and writer, and this years Visions has truly brought new inspiration to my perspective as a filmmaker.

*Cool Inspiring Photo

*Shameless Visions Logo Rip

POSTER!!!

CHEAH!

Production Update March

March was a super busy month for Keep it Rolling. Aside from shooting interviews and b-roll, creating a trailer for Sarah's pitch competition, editing motion graphics, collecting research and movie posters and producing marketing material and a festival plan for the film, we have officially started post production! We're still compiling footage and interviews from experts and industry workers, but while that's coming in, we're going to be cutting cutting cutting for the final edit! It's exciting to know that the film is coming together, now we just have to stay motivated and stay busy with collecting footage!!! We're excited about the support behind the project so far and hope we can continue to build that support for the rest of the production! Our biggest challenge so far has been collecting b-roll, as we are unsure about what b-roll best compliments our interview footage. But we're very motivated and willing to try a little bit of everything to get what we want to create a gripping film!!!

Best of luck to the other groups! Let's keep it rolling and #SaveNCFilm!

2 month reflections

Man what a day we had yesterday!!! 12 hours of shooting over at Screen Gems including b-roll and 3 interviews with different members of the film industry. It was long, grueling, and really hard day of running around with a camera, but in the end, we captured some really awesome footage. Our day ended with a late night interview with local film worker Shaun O' Rourke, which turned out to be the highlight of the day. Shaun participates in the film industry in whatever capacity he can because he truly loves the industry. Whether he is in front of the camera or driving a truck, Shaun's passion shines through every bit of his interview. He even did a few voice impressions for us and he had wonderful pit bull Indy sit in on the interview.

I really enjoyed this interview with Shaun. He squeezed us in after a 12 hour work day, and our interview lasted about two hours, and Shaun helped set-up, take down, and was super inviting during the interview process. This was by far one of our most productive days and a very refreshing moment for me as a filmmaker to work with another like minded individual. The environment was so fun and carefree and it reminded me why I do this: because it is fun. Telling a story becomes such an amazing experience for anybody involved that it would be insane for me to imagine not being able to participate in film. I love this project so far and am pumped on the momentum it's picking up! Until next time, #SaveNCFilm

1st month reflection

The 1st month of production for Keep It Rolling was a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, backs and forths, and emails. Seriously, a lot of emails! Thankfully, we've got an amazing support system behind us in the local and regional film community, snagging interviews with NC Film Commissioner Aaron Syrett and Wilmington Regional Film Commissioner Johnny Griffin as well as some other film industry workers. Screen Gems has been paramount in letting us shoot the studio area for b-roll and in setting up some interviews. So far, this project has taken a large amount of preliminary research to figure out who to talk to, what to talk about, and what resources will have to go into the project.

Production so far has been centered here in town and in Raleigh shooting the capital area. We've been shooting on the Sony FS-100 and syncing sound with the H4N. So far, everything looks really sharp and we've been pleased with the look of the film. Our next steps are collecting more and more b-roll as we rack up interview footage and really getting the structure of our cut together.

So far, I've been really thrilled on the support of the local film community. I think it will continue to build as we get further into our film, but we hope that this support will boost our film forward and create more momentum!

#SaveNCFilm

Expert Bios and Interview Questions

Shaun O’ Rourke

Shaun is a New Jersey native that has been living and working in the NC area for some time now. Shaun is active in many aspects of the NC film industry, filling in whatever crew position may need his skills while he’s not acting in front of the camera. Shaun is also a huge proponent of the NC Tax Incentives for film. He contributes to advocacy pages and blogs with commentary on the recent happenings of the industry as well as photos from being on set. Shaun has a bright and enthusiastic personality that would be a great asset to the documentary.

1.     Shaun, could you introduce yourself to the audience. Speak a bit about your career in film so far. Has it been concentrated locally or nationally?

2.     What has been your favorite role/crew position so far?

3.     What is your favorite part about working in the film industry, either locally or nationally?

4.     In regards to your work and passion and that of others in the state, how significantly does the NC film industry impact your life? Could you speak a bit about why you work in the film industry? What drives you?

5.     Can you think of a time when you really felt your passion for film come to life? Any special moments on set?

6.     What do you know about the NC Tax Incentives for film? Can you educate us about what’s going on?

7.     How important do you think the NC Tax Incentives for film are, not only for this industry, but the economy and wellbeing of North Carolina?

8.     What do you foresee if the Tax Incentives are not renewed in 2015?

9.     How important is this Incentive for the future of North Carolina and the USA?

10. Can you close by summarizing your experience with the film making process? What keeps you coming back to this industry?

11. Any closing remarks or any summarizing statements you'd like to close with? 

Simon-Screen Gems L&G

A native of the United Kingdom, Simon’s skills and expertise have brought him to the US and positioned him as a full time employee at EUE/Screen Gems Studios Lighting & Grip Department here in town. Simon oversees much of the day to day logistical happenings of the department and is a tech-saavy handyman when it comes to lighting. Occasionally working on set, Simon’s knowledge and experience working in the film industry is unparalleled. Simon’s sense of humor is undoubtedly British, and it will be interesting seeing how he opens up about the industry and how important these tax incentives are for NC on camera.

1.     Simon, could you introduce yourself to the audience? How did you get into working in the film industry? Can you speak a bit about your career in film so far?

2.     You have plenty of experience working in this industry. Can you speak about some of the changes/innovations you’ve seen over the years?

3.     Have there been any constant factors that have remained the same?

4.     What has been your favorite part about working in the film industry, specifically here in NC?

5.     What information can you provide from an industry workers’ standpoint about the Tax Incentives for the NC Film Industry?

6.     Why are these tax incentives important for North Carolina’s economy?

7.     If you could paint a portrait of the NC Film industry right now, what does it look like?

8.     What would your ideal portrait look like?

9.     If the Tax Incentives are not renewed in 2015, what consequences do you foresee?

10. Why do you continue to work in this industry? What brings you back?

11. Any closing remarks or any summarizing statements you'd like to close with?

Some Preliminary Research on NC Tax Incentives for the film industry

1. According to NCfilm.com's website, "In 2010, Governor Bev Perdue signed into law House Bill 1973 and House Bill 713 that creates the following changes to the North Carolina Film Refundable Tax Credit:
HB 1973:

• Creates a single, easy to use 25% film refundable tax credit.
• Eliminates the 15% and Alternative Film credit.
• Increases per project cap to $20 million (was $7.5 million)
• Defines, employee fringe contributions, including health, pension and welfare contributions as qualifying expenses.
• Defines per diems, stipends, and living expenses as qualifying expenses.

HB 713:

• Eliminates the 6.9% corporate income tax on the tax credit taken by a production company. This allows the production company to realize a full 25% of qualifying expenses.

In 2012, Governor Bev Perdue signed into law Senate Bill 847 that changed the following to the North Carolina Film Refundable Tax Credit:
SB 847:

• Extends the sunset date to January 1, 2015"

2. According to Variety.com, "North Carolina’s 25% production tax incentive is due to expire on Jan. 1, 2015, but a news release from the state’s Republican governor, Pat McCrory, has revived hopes among advocates of the credits that the program will be renewed in the coming year.
With more than 60 productions registered by the North Carolina Film Office in 2013, and a record high of 5,700 production days, McCrory’s office said that the activity generated $254 million in spending and created more than 4,000 jobs for crew members.
“In addition to our state’s beauty, we’ve developed the workforce and artists that make North Carolina an ideal place to produce quality projects efficiently,” McCrory said.
North Carolina Film Office director Aaron Syrett said that the past three years “have produced unheralded numbers in direct in-state spending and job opportunities.” McCrory is in staunch support of the film industry in NC and will hopefully advocate for the continuation of NC film tax incentives.

3. According to WWAY TV 3, New Hanover County could see an estimated loss of more than $10 million in tax revenue if the state's film incentive expires at the end of 2014, according to initial findings of a study released Monday. The study, commissioned in September by the Wilmington Regional Film Commission with the assistance of other state entities, is being conducted by researchers at N.C. State University and looks at the financial impact of the film industry in the state. The current film incentive, which has a "sunset" expiration date at the end of 2014, gives qualifying productions a 25 percent refundable tax credit on money spent on certain services in the state."

That's a lot to take in, but it shows that this is an issue that is being taken into serious consideration by local and state government. We're off to a great start here, and I'm eager to discover more about how legislation and business plays a role in the NC film industry.

First Post Ma!!!

Prepare yourselves now, for unto this day, I, Connor Buss, bring you the thoughts and ideas of one man with a dream...and a camera. For I, Connor Buss, will be the director of photography for Robert Conley's film about Tax Incentives for the NC Film Industry! Interviews will be conducted, b-roll will be shot, and if I'm not mistaken, a timeless piece of cinematic history will be created!!!

Best of luck to all projects this semester, but I have a good feeling about this one!