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Need help brainstorming for a project

Started by Mr. Hamrick, May 21, 2008, 06:54:46 PM

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Mr. Hamrick




Ok, bear with me here.

I was considering doing a series of short film vignettes similar to what Jim Jarmusch did with the "Coffee and Cigarettes" film. For those who are not familiar with the film, it is a series of shorts with various people in various situation with the common theme of "coffee and cigarettes". The cast includes Bill Murrary, RZA, GZA, Cate Blanchett, Jack and Meg White (of The White Stripes), Alfred Molina, Tom Waits and Iggy Pop as well as others.

I was hoping to maybe to pick the brains of some of the people here for some ideas. You will be get a credit in the finished product and if there is money made from the project then compensation will be arranged if you desire.

I have two pieces planned right now and I am aiming for twelve in all. My biggest problem is that everytime I try to do a short, I wind with an idea for a feature. Though, I have one other short that was shot last summer with a vastly altered script from my original. I was considering using that script as originally done and directing another version myself. That would give me three.

Anyway, the themes I was leaning toward is either "Human Interest Stories", "Dead Places of Memory", and "Old Haunts". Although, the latter two are titles for two of the pieces I am working on. Neither are in the horror genre.

I would be interested in hearing thoughts on this matter. Some of my friends and I are curious if we can pull off something similar to what Jarmusch did with "Coffee and Cigarettes".
Thanks.

ow_tiobe_sb

My question is whether or not 'twould be advisable to "pull off something similar to what Jarmusch did."  The vignettes featuring Iggy Pop and Tom Waits, Jack and Meg White, and Alfred Molina and (IIRC) Steve Coogan were hilarious, but the rest of the film struck me as rather self-indulgent and flat (and I'm a huge supporter of irony and deadpan humour).  IMHO, Jarmusch has written far better films working in very different genres: Dead Man (spectacular, if you've not seen it) and Down by Law.

It might be interesting to do a series of vignettes that present different perspectives of the same scene so that, by film's end, the audience has a broader picture of all the characters involved (who might be addressing the same event or similar themes via their interactions).  Of course, I'd need to know more about the preexisting footage you wanted to use before strongly recommending this course of action.

I'll give your themes more thought.  I will try to post again soon when I feel less critical of Jarmusch and more creative/helpful. :oops:

ow_tiobe_sb
Phantom Bunburyist and Fop o' th' Morning

Mr. Hamrick

The reason I referenced "Coffee and Cigarettes" by name was that the segment with Iggy Pop and Tom Waits won the best short at Cannes and the segment with Cate Blanchett won her an award at The Independent Spirit Awards.  Oh, and because we had been watching it earlier in the day.  However, the type of movie has been attempted before with varying degrees of results.  New York Stories, anyone? 

The only thing similar thing to what Jarmusch did would be that it is a set of short films and that some of them would be submitted to film festivals.  There is more planned with the overall project.