Project Greenlight 2 (1 Viewer)

[MickeS]

Tommy, I absolutely agree. The producers have, from what we've been shown, not been very good at establishing exactly what the directors could do. This was only the second or third day of shooting, and I think they just figured that the directors would leave the script as it was, and that Erica would be there to watch the proceedings, and IF something happened she would take it upon herself and step in and help/confront.

They should have laid down a much more firm procedure for what her role was and what they could do with her material. It seems they were doing that now though. The scene where Moore was asking her why she didn't have a headset so she could listen to the actors was telling. Nobody knew what her role was, she was just hanging around basically.

THis is also very new for the contestant winners, so I can't be too hard on them. The directors were used to running the show on the small projects they did before, now they can't. It's a whole new operation for them. The writer is going to have her name on the final product, so she is understandably concerned that it is indeed her vision that will be up there on the screen, and not someone else's (especially if it turns out bad).

/Mike

 

[Patrick Sun]

Nope, don't buy it. These 2 directors have had plenty of people showing them the shot lists, as well as the logistics that go on to get into position to shoot the scenes on the pages passed on to them. And after weeks of pre-production, only then on the day of the shoot, these 2 guys start making all sorts of changes to "simplify" the process? Why didn't they make the changes in pre-production? No, these guys are mavericks, yes, but they don't have any concept of teamwork (since they probably did everything themselves, and didn't have to cater to union rules on running into overtime and whatnot, for the crew they have been graciously been handed to make this film), and other logistical issues when they were doing their little films. What they have done to the script is throw it on the ground and urinated on it. If you were the writer, how would you feel?

As to the producers, I think Chris and Jeff probably didn't think Efram and Kyle were daft enough (and unprofessional enough) to try what they did, which is to shoot footage that was not approved by Miramax, who is paying for it all. Now that Chris and Jeff has seen this side of Efram and Kyle, they'll be on them for the rest of the shooting schedule, I know I would be.

 

[Steve_Tk]

Definately funny stuff. Efram is such a moron.

 

[Chris]

No, the writer isn't a "whiny punk" in fact, if any other director did what Kyle & Efram did, they'd be stopped as well. You can't tear up writers pages and make your own.. the Screenwriter's Guild would kick your ever loving a** if you did it without the writer's approval.. which is exactly what they did.

There is a reason why Chris M. and others said "hey, you can't do this without studio approval" I don't think they would have ever thought someone who had published film before - and these two have - would do something so utterly stupid.

That's not a matter of "creating a process".. there already is one in place.. part common sense, part union rules. While I'm sure we haven't spent a lot of time in the show on it, both of the directors were well informed as to penalty-time because of meals, which are union rules. I'm sure somewhere along the line, maybe not filmed for the show, the breakdown of union rules was provided them.

 

[Tommy Ceez]

You can't tear up writers pages and make your own.. the Screenwriter's Guild would kick your ever loving a** if you did it without the writer's approval

My question to Chris Moore would have been
"So we cant remove a line from the script without consulting the writer? What if we were to edit out a line in post-production? Will the writer be in the editing room with us too? What if a line of dialog is muffeled on the soundtrack? Does the writer have to be consulted before we remove it?"

As far as the writers guild...she basically sold her script. Shes only involved because Project Greenlight thought it would be cool.

As the director, my additude would be, "You dont like what I'm doing, fuck you, try and stop me" The TV audiences will love your balls.

 

[Patrick Sun]

But the studios would hand over your newly separated balls so you can dangle them on your rear view mirror as you drive to the nearest Unemployment line...

 

[Randy Tennison]

If you read the Project Greenlight website, and Chris Moore's comments, you'll see that he addressed the re-writing issue. Directors often re-write dialog. Writers are often fired, and new ones hired to re-write scripts during production. So, what they did is not abnormal for Hollywood. However, this is Project Greenlight, which has made a big deal of getting the writer into the entire process. So that is why there is a problem with the "boys" re-writing dialog. She won the contest as well as them, so they are trying to protect her work more than they normally would.

Moore also apologizes on the webstie for calling them passive agressive fu@ks (which I don't think he has to), as well as claiming the studio can fire him for hiring Bill Sadler.

And Balis has called the chair scene one of the funniest moments in television. I don't know about that, but it was pretty darned funny.

 

[Marty M]

What if we were to edit out a line in post-production? Will the writer be in the editing room with us too?

FWIW, the directors will not be involved in the editing process. This was established before they started hiring the crew for the film. But Randy's posting explains it very well.

 

[Chris]

There is a difference in what was suggested, however. Because the writer was guaranteed input, she gets it.. but more then that, while you can fire/hire writers per say, and you can hire in new writers to re-work, it all has to be within the framework of their initial agreement.

 

[Tommy Ceez]

the directors will not be involved in the editing process

No, they just wont edit the film themselves. If they werent involved in the editing process then they are basically glorified producers.

 

[Derek Miner]

The producers have, from what we've been shown, not been very good at establishing exactly what the directors could do. This was only the second or third day of shooting, and I think they just figured that the directors would leave the script as it was, and that Erica would be there to watch the proceedings, and IF something happened she would take it upon herself and step in and help/confront.

I'm always thinking in the back of my mind that there are a lot of moments we are not seeing on the show. My feeling is that Kyle and Efram never got some kind of exact, detailed list of their duties and responsibilities - that wouldn't be the point of the contest. This isn't school, it's trial by fire. They are learning on a case-by-case basis what their role is when making a film with a studio. Where it seems as if they dont' know what they're doing, it's because they don't like the place of the director in that system.

I can relate to Erica, because it seems she does not like direct conflict, and is too polite to call into question the decisions other people are making. I would think "Guardian of the writer's vision" is an appropriate job description, but it's up to her to define how that is carried out. Again, they can't give her a bullet-point list of things to do, but they can guide her (as I believe Moore was doing when he wondered why she wasn't wearing a headset).

 

[Chris]

Also important to remember is that the script, as-is, is what was officially approved by Mirimax after 4 re-writes. I think part of the problem is that, if they had all these concerns, they should have addressed them during the re-write process, rather then change on the fly

 

[Patrick Sun]

Didn't they say this was the 6th draft of the final script?

 

[Chris]

Yep, but two of those came before they went into the re-writes in committee, I think. She talked about doing one before she submitted to PGL.. but I could be wrong.

 

[Paul Mason]

Does anyone know if the script on the PGL website is the original winning script (i.e. draft 1) or the final shooting script?

 

[Randy Tennison]

The website has several versions, so you can compare. I haven't read the entire script, because it's just a bit time consuming to read.

As much as Efram annoys me, I have to remember that we are seeing only the most dramatic moments, and not the successes that they are having.

I'm looking forward to seeing the movie.

 

[Chris]

These guys are horrible.. I laughed all the way through tonights ep

 

[Steve_Tk]

Pure comedy. Which is the best because it's not intentional. I can't wait till they fire the mic guy next week. Everyone on set regards these guys as morons.

The best scene was when the Father and Kelly were trying to work out the scene together, and Efram was standing there wishing they would listen to him and they kept ignoring him.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Finally the shortcomings of a 2-headed directorship rear their ugly heads in the process. This is precisely why Miramax had reservations on selecting a 2-person director team to direct a film. The chances that both directors are always on the same creative page are remote over a long shoot schedule. I felt bad for Shia and Amy getting conflicting directions that whole afternoon.

Wasn't it amazing how much work it took just to get about 10 seconds of footage (Anson Mount's scene just outside the church)?

 

[Randy Tennison]

I almost fell down laughing when Chris Moore walked up to Kyle and Efram and told them, "I just wanted to let you know that all three of us thought that was a good take". Man, talk about the ultimate smart ass! But, hopefully, he made his point.

For a while, I didn't mind Kyle as much as Efram, because Efram was a big mouth. Now, I think Kyle is even a bigger pain in the arse, because he will just smile, nod, and do whatever he wants in the first place. At least Efram will state his view. Kyle just stops talking.

I like seeing the temper in the DP, as well. First, he chewed out the guy who aimed the rifle at the camera, and then he chews out the 1st AD for having the movie van in the picture.

Can't wait to see the mic guy get fired. Talk about a possible problem, firing a union guy!