Where does the edit begin?

The first step is syncing the footage. This means that an assistant editor (or you, should you be so lucky) will go through every video file and every sound file and match them up using the clapboard. When the “sticks” hit, you hear the “CLICK.” By the time the official editor on the project sits down, all of the footage should be synced and organized. In the case of The Storyteller, Director Joe Crump brought in numerous assistants to help sync the dailies.

They went through and they were ahead of me as I was editing… and they synced all the different microphones. There would be some places where we would have three or four microphones and they would sync all of them up so it would make it easier for us to work with. – Joe Crump, Director of The Storyteller

The plan helps the edit

Mad Max: Fury Road is a film that’s been mentioned several times during this series. Not only because it’s one of the best movies to come out of Hollywood in the last 20 years, but because it’s that rare combination of technical achievement mixed with fantastic storytelling. In the below clip you can hear Director of Photography John Seale discuss how his filming of every shot ultimately helped the edit and thus allowed the audience to have a smooth, albeit heart pounding, storytelling experience.

Mad Max wasn’t the only film with a plan. Director Joe Crump made sure he was well prepared when it came time to shoot The Storyteller.

I had a very extensive shot list. It was combined with the script and some maps that I drew. It was about 350 pages long and I broke it up into binders for each location. So each location had its own binder. - Joe Crump, Director of The Storyteller

Writer, Director and Editor

For Director Joe Crump there was no question that he would be the primary editor on The Storyteller. Joe is in very good company with this approach – James Cameron, Robert Rodriguez, Steven Soderbergh, and many more have all edited – or been an editor on – their own films. (Although some credit themselves with a pseudonym). And like most of these Director/Editors, he brought in a co-editor, his daughter Katie.

Katie was sitting at my side the entire time. She edited sometimes and I edited sometimes so it was a co-production. Joe Crump, Director of The Storyteller

The Storyteller was edited using the Adobe Suite on Joe’s PC. What’s interesting is that he was able to send an EDL to the Special Effects Editor who would then work on a MAC. This was all done using Google Drive (password protected of course). Additionally, Vimeo Pro was used to share cuts of the films for friends/family.

Now, if you’re reading this and thinking: “I can’t edit. I wouldn’t know where to begin. Do I have to know Avid, Premiere Pro, Final Cut? I don’t even know what those are!” My first piece of advice is to settle down; it’s okay. Choosing not to be the editor on your film doesn’t mean you’re walking away. Because let’s be clear: the Director is almost* always involved in the edit. Whether they’re there actually pushing the buttons doesn’t matter. Film is a Director’s medium and that holds true until the film is complete.

*The word almost was included because, yes, there are horror stories of directors being locked out of the editing room by the producers, or even producers forcing the director to change their edit. This is why we have several cuts of Blade Runner…

And speaking of having several people involved in the editing process – Director, do yourself a favor and screen the edit for the writer. Writers understand pacing and good writers put the story above their own vanity. They might be able to see what’s not working better than you do.

Editing is about solving problems, even brilliant ones.

Filmmaking (along with TV) has such a unique artistic journey. This is mostly due to the many forms your film inhabits before it’s completed. Think about it: Words turn into shots that turn into edits. At every one of these stages, you’re making artistic decisions. Artistic decisions that later on can cause you headaches. This doesn’t mean those decisions were wrong. On the contrary, I would argue that it’s this ironic and yet oddly appropriate, even comforting, fact that let’s you know you were doing something right.

Indeed, Director Joe Crump faced these challenges when editing.

We did a lot of longer takes and sometimes that put us up against a wall. I could have played it safer and just done coverage but I preferred to do something that was more interesting visually. So I took a chance and… there were some shots I hated but when I put them into the edit, I was happy with the way they turned out. Joe Crump, Director of The Storyteller

And Joe’s in good company…

Thelma Schoonmaker was Martin Scorsese’s editor before he was MARTIN SCORSESE. She edited his first film and has edited every one of his films since Raging Bull. In the below clip, Schoonmaker discusses the most difficult scene of her editing career. You might think it would be a violent scene from The Departed or maybe a grand scene from The Aviator but in fact it involves two brilliant actors improvising. Her challenge was taking all those brilliant moments and crafting a scene that highlights the energy of the performance while moving the story forward.

It’s Always About The Story

Unlike the writer who can shape, change or even completely restructure the story with the flick of his pen (or keyboard), and unlike the director who can change blocking or direct the actors during multiple different takes, an editor must work with the footage we’re given. Unless working on a multi-million dollar studio movie, reshoots are probably not an option. The footage and the script are our only raw materials.

Bringing those raw materials together in a creative way, that’s the final rewrite and what ultimately breathes life into the picture. An editor’s job is to make sure every moment hits. That the audience feels every emotion that the story conveys. It’s a kind of manipulation, really. We pick the best takes, the best shots. Put them together in a way that’ll make you cry or laugh. A great edit is when choice and timing come together to deliver emotion.

We’re always trying to find the perfect take, the perfect expression, and the perfect reaction shot. So much of the movie is about reaction shots and how people are feeling about what other people are saying. What people are saying is rarely what they actually mean. It’s a process of finding the pieces to tell the story – Joe Crump, Director of The Storyteller

Till next time, here’s a video highlighting some great editing moments on film. Have you seen all of them?

First, a little history lesson. The term dailies simply describes the raw, unedited footage from a film shoot.

Back when filmmaking was solely done on film, the film reel (typically 35mm film stock) from a day’s shoot would be sent to a lab and processed. It would then be synced with the day’s audio and a new film print would be made. This new, synced print would be the daily for that shooting day’s work and include ALL the takes and camera positions (set-ups) from that particular day. If you have a total of 18 shooting days, you will have a total of 18 dailies.

Typically, we’d shoot an average of 2 to 6 takes per set up. We did 346 setups in 18 days of shooting – so an average of 19 setups a day. Most of our days were 10-12 hours of actual shooting. – Director Joe Crump, The Storyteller

Wanna sound like a real know-it-all? Dailies is a US term. The UK uses the term rushes, because the film reel was developed as quickly as possible, aka it was a rush.

How Are Dailies Used?

Was that critical shot in focus? Does the man in a suit actually look like a dragon? And of course for Producers/Studio: are we going to make our money back?

These are the kinds of questions that used to plague production. Because again, when film was film, the Director, DP and Producer had no idea whether or not they were getting the results they wanted, aesthetic or performance, without viewing the dailies.

Either before a new shoot day began, during lunch or even after the shoot day has ended, a select group of the crew (typically the Director, DP, Producers and/or the actors) would view the dailies in a theater or screening room, so they could assess how the film’s production was progressing.

The dailies looked great – Our DP, Dan, did a wonderful job of lighting and we were seeing some really pretty pictures. We also had wonderful performances from our entire cast – but we knew that while we were still on set. - Director Joe Crump, The Storyteller

Dailies have had a lasting impression on the movie zeitgeist.

Did you know the studio wasn’t pleased with the casting of the then unknown Al Pacino for The Godfather? They actually tried repeatedly to fire him. Francis Ford Coppola, who had total faith in Pacino, eventually moved up a very important scene in order to convince them, while watching dailies. The rest is film history.

Conversely, dailies have been responsible for causing major cast shake ups. The dailies for Back To The Future helped convince Robert Zemeckis that Eric Stoltz wasn’t the right fit for the iconic role of Marty McFly.

The Actor’s Relationship with the Dailies:

I think it might be a problem for actors to watch their dailies and get nervous about their performances – and perhaps, stop listening to their director – although this never happened on this set. There were a few times on the set when we watched a playback of a shot and I’d always invite the actor to come look at what we were seeing. But this was pretty rare simply because there wasn’t much time to do it. - Director Joe Crump, The Storyteller

Echoing Joe Crump’s sentiments, many actors actually don’t want to watch dailies, because they don’t want to influence the process. They know that watching themselves might make them self-conscious in a way that they’ll start planning the performance rather than being in the performance. Other actors don’t mind – and actually want that reassurance.

So what do you do?

It really comes down to the actor and their process. As a filmmaker, it’s your job to help the actor do their best work. If that means letting them watch dailies, then let them. If it doesn’t… keep them away.

Dailies In A Digital Age:

Digital filmmaking has turned everyone into a filmmaker. Your dailies are suddenly at your fingertips. This has changed not only the purpose of dailies, but how they are delivered and used.

When dailies were film, they had to be screened in a theater. The onset of tape, and later DVDs, allowed the dailies to be given separately to key crew members. This also meant you didn’t have to sit through each and every take. You could fast forward; skim to make sure you’re getting what you wanted and move on.

Today, dailies can be uploaded to the cloud, a (secure) ftp, or a dropbox. Directors don’t even have to wait until the end of a film day. Footage can be downloaded and viewed almost in real time. So how did The Storyteller view their dailies?

Usually at night after the day of shooting while Katie Crump (our DIT) was transferring the footage to the redundant hard drives. We also watched them on Sunday’s, which was the only non-shoot day in our schedule. – Director Joe Crump, The Storyteller

The digital age has also affected the length of dailies. Back in 2012, the senior veep of Deluxe Television, Bill Romeo, told Variety that previously a typical show would deliver “something like an hour a night… now we’re looking at around four hours of material.”

Whereas dailies used to be the only way for the filmmakers to view their film pre-edit, today we have the camera playback and monitors that allow for so much more information.

I had a teradek (handheld) monitor with me all the time, so I was able to see in real time what was going to the camera. Nothing I saw in the dailies surprised me since I’d seen it all as it happened. Dan was also keeping an eye on the waveform monitors so we knew we were within the tolerances of our camera (Alexa Mini) and that we weren’t losing image in the hot spots or shadows. – Director Joe Crump, The Storyteller

This instantaneous feedback is great for an independant film that can’t afford to wait even one day to find out they didn’t get that critical shot. However, it also costs you perspective. How many times have you written something, edited something, walked away thinking one thing, only to return with a new perspective? Yes, the traditional viewing of dailies made you sift through footage, but that allowed you to find unexpected surprises! So while there have been great gains, you also have to be aware of the potential losses and missed opportunities when you choose not to view dailies.

As technology progressed, dailies have adapted and some would say struggled to find their place. But they still offer filmmakers a very important commodity: reassurance.

I think I could have done this entire film without watching the dailies at all. But with that said, it’s a source of comfort to watch what you have done and know that you are getting what you set out to get. – Director Joe Crump, The Storyteller

It All Comes Down To The Edit.

Most of the takes we circled are the ones in the movie, but sometimes we discovered the tone or mood of a scene was leaning too heavily one way or the other and we found different takes where the performance changed and we were able to tweak the feel of the entire movie because we did those extra takes with a different tone to the performance. – Director Joe Crump, The Storyteller

George Miller described his masterpiece Mad Max: Fury Road as a mosaic; each shot creating a grander image. Dailies are what the editor uses to assemble this picture. It’s the editor’s job to create the best version of your film and that won’t always mean it’s the exact image you had in your head. Sometimes it might be even better!

h/t Variety for the Bill Romeo quote.

Need an example before we get into the nitty-gritty of scouting for locations?

Take a look at this trailer for Woody Allen’s Manhattan.

Now take a look at the trailer for Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets.

Both Directors are synonymous with New York, both movies are set in New York, but the stories are very different and their locations reflect this.

There are two kinds of Film Locations:

1. A Stage: A stage is basically a building where you can build your sets. The benefit to this option is that you have complete control over the environment and actual structure of the set. A wall can be moved so that a camera can be placed to get a certain angle.

Have you seen Room yet? This Academy Award nominated film’s main location is not only the title of the movie but is also a built set.

Check out this featurette with the Production Designers talking about they created Room.

2. A Practical Location: Often referred to as just a Film Location, this means that the filmmaker shoots in an actual existing location. The scene is set in a house, you film in a house. Low budget/independent filmmakers often utilize this option because it can actually be less money to shoot in a local location and dress it (meaning make it look the way you want) than to rent a stage. There’s also an added authenticity for the audience; they know that what they’re seeing actually exists.

Here’s the trailer for another Academy Award Nominated film, only this one was shot on location.

To the less trained eye, a Film Location is simply the place that a film (or television show) is filmed, but a specific location can really add depth to a story. However, this doesn’t mean that a location should dictate the story. In the case of The Storyteller, Writer/Director Joe Crump and Writer/Producer Rachel Noll found a balance between using locations to fuel their ideas and letting their ideas inspire their locations.

We didn’t restrict the story too much in our first drafts, we let it flow organically and then went back and tailored locations to fit places we knew we could get once we moved into the early stages of pre-production. We did try to keep conscious of not using too many locations or anything that would be hard to find. We kept the story simple and the locations as well. – Rachel Noll, Producer of The Storyteller

Once the script is written, production is tasked with finding suitable locations. There are many factors, both logistical and creative, that a filmmaker should keep in mind when choosing the locations.

The first step is to decide where you are going to film the project.

Did you know?

Many states offer production benefits for companies to shoot in their state/locations? These benefits can include Tax Credits, Cash Rebates, Sales Tax and Lodging Exemption and/or Fee-Free Locations.

• Tax Credits: When a production company works in a specific state, they will have to pay an income tax back to the state. If a production company meets the minimum spending requirements as determined by that state, then they (the production company), will qualify for a tax credit. This means that a portion of the income tax will be given back to the production company. On big productions, this can end up being rather large amounts.
• Cash Rebates: These are similar to tax credits in that money are given back to the production company. However, a cash rebate is based on the production company’s expenses.
• Sales Tax & Lodging Exemption: A state will try to entice a production company to film there by offering an exemption from both sales and lodging taxes.
• Fee-Free Locations: It’s important for any filmmaker to know that government owned locations are often offered for no cost.

Remember – These benefits vary by state so it’s important to do the research and compare your production needs and constraints with the offers provided by each. Here’s a great website that compares state incentives!

Understand that tax incentives offer options, but should not solely dictate where the filmmaker decides to shoot their film. The Storyteller will be shot in Indiana, a state that does not offer incentives. This may seem like a disadvantage, but shooting in a state that doesn’t regularly have production companies shooting can be very welcoming, especially when compared to places like Los Angeles and New York.

Everyone I have spoken to has been so excited and generous. Everyone wants to be a part of a movie out there because they have not been over saturated. Its still exciting. We have gotten such a tremendous positive response from the locations and the owners of the businesses we approach offering us all kinds of things and saying they are honored we thought of them. It’s been really heart warming. – Rachel Noll, Producer of The Storyteller

Once you’ve picked the state you’ll be shooting in, it’s time to start looking for specific locations. A Location Scout can be very helpful at this point. The production company will employ them to find a number of possible locations and present those decisions to the filmmakers. The benefit of having a location scout is that they know the area you’re shooting in and deal with location managers all the time. It can especially help when the production company isn’t local.

We are currently looking to bring on a local location scout to help us with our final house location, because its really specific in terms of what we need it to accomplish for us – multiple locations as well as crew lodging – and since I am based in LA it would be very helpful to have another pair of boots on the ground in Indy to help us find some options. Our UPM is currently vetting some location scouts for us. – Rachel Noll, Producer of The Storyteller

The Key Criteria when looking for location is to know what you are looking for and be aware of your shooting schedule. The filmmaker has to have a vision for the film to understand if the scouted location will help bring the film to life. In addition, you have to understand how shooting in that location will fit into the entire production schedule. The filmmakers of The Storyteller have been sure to keep this in mind.

Joe has had a pretty clear vision in his mind of local spots in Indianapolis that he wants to use, so we always go there first… We are very aware of our time limitations on a three week shoot, and so the more locations we can find that are within close proximity to each other, or can serve as multiple locations, the better off we are. It’s also important that they look and feel like the world we are trying to create. – Rachel Noll, Producer of The Storyteller

Other criteria to remember when scouting locations:

• Lighting: What does the location look like during the time that you’ll be filming? It’s important for your DP to know their canvas. Understanding how light enters a building will inform how the DP lights the scene and even what kind of equipment is needed.
• Power supplies: Are there enough power outlets for your equipment? If not, are you going to need to rent a generator?
• Outside noise: Sound should NEVER be underestimated. Is the building near any kind of airfield? If so, your days will be filled with “holding for sound” until the plane finishes flying overhead.
• Parking: How large is your crew? Is there enough nearby parking? Is it free or will you have to pay? Will you need a permit to park on the street?

Depending on what locations are available, it is possible that your story will change. This is something The Storyteller has had to deal with first hand.

Small adjustments in the script have been made as we began to understand the logistics of the various spaces. Nothing major though. At least not yet. There was one scene we had written to take place at a pond when we thought we had a certain house location with a pond out back. This location fell through, and so we adapted the scene to be in a park we are already shooting another scene in. Small modifications like that. – Rachel Noll, Producer of The Storyteller

Permits, permits, permits.

Once a location has been selected, it needs to be secured. Obtaining a Film Permit is a key part of the process. Issued by the state government, a film permit authorizes the production company to film in the desired location (state owned or otherwise). The requirements for obtaining a film permit are different for each state and usually include: providing location details, date and time of filming, a description of the scene and if there are any stunts involved. In order to obtain a permit, the production company will also have to pay a fee and provide proof of production insurance.

We are too far out to begin obtaining permits – and actually, Indiana doesn’t require permits in the same way California does unless you are closing down a major street, which we are not. We have tentatively secured the majority of our locations already, but will not be able to formally lock them down until we have a locked shooting schedule, which our AD is working on now and we hope to have finished in the next few weeks. – Rachel Noll, Producer of The Storyteller

Join us next time when we discuss Script Coverage, Screenwriting Contests and The Blacklist: What is it and what’s it good for? Until then, here’s the trailer for an Academy Award Nominated film set in Australia – but filmed on location in Namibia!

The following is an opinion piece by guest blogger Federico Ponce – whom you’ve hopefully already been acquainted with through our series of video interviews with him. If not, go check them out. Fede is a freelance MoGraph and Visual FX artist, has worked as creative director on several Marvel project (like Iron Man, Avengers and Thor) and is currently working on his own project, Sebastian: The Slumberland Odyssey.

For the last decade or so, I have seen a shift in the way big budget movies are created. I feel compelled to share my humble opinion on the topic, because I am a film lover – and a big superhero nerd. For that same reason this is not something I say lightly, but I believe that superhero movies are damaging the core of storytelling. They have evolved into a massive, lucrative spectacle, but for those of us wanting a bit more, they unfortunately leave our palettes dry. I am convinced that art and entertainment can coexist and that the industry does not need to dumb something down in order to make it marketable and memorable.

That’s why, when I heard the rumor that George Miller was potentially going to direct Man of Steel 2, I was sold. Let me tell you why.

Mad Max: Fury Road was a $100 million dollar gamble that paid off handsomely. It became a massive box office success as well as one of the highest rated movies by critics and audiences alike. I say gamble, because in the world of big films nothing is a guarantee. Whoever had the vision to hire the director responsible for Happy Feet and have him dig up his own post-apocalyptic, high octane, testosterone driven re-make was on to something.

But George Miller didn’t stop there; he took the entire hero myth and flipped it on its head, giving us a brand new vision of what action movies could be. He did so facing a market that prefers massive tent pole franchises that focus on being “popular” rather than breaking ground.

I love going to the theater and having a public experience with the audience, but in this particular case I avoided the hype and waited a few months to see it at home; I was looking for a more intimate experience and boy did I get my money’s worth with Mad Max: Fury Road.

SPOILERS AHEAD: please stop reading if you have not seen the film yet.

From a technical standpoint, this movie shines in every single department. The visual effects are incredible, flawless and in a sense painterly and stylized without being distracting. The practical effects are equally impressive. There is a stunning choreography between the camera work, the action and the art direction. In fact, every design and visual cue in this movie carries a lot of weight; no detail is left untouched as each piece has been carefully crafted with meticulous detail to further the story and enrich the film’s mythos. The sound design is harmonized and perfectly synchronized in tone and rhythm with the high speed pacing and staccato editing of the film. All acts and beats develop organically and the film does not stop. The pacing is perfect.

This is, at its worst, the best action film to be recorded in the last decade. At its best, it’s an industry-changing piece of art. Here is why:

Mad Max: Fury Road has a rich, deep mythology that combines the exploited patriarchal and linear warrior myth with an emerging new myth: The female creation myth. The movie is ground breaking in that it takes these two myths and dispels its gender associations. Not only that, but Miller understands metaphor perfectly, he understands iconography and language, and he interweaves them into a new fascinating world, the like of which I have not seen in an action movie before. The dialogue is not expository, it’s enticing and the performances of the actors showcase how complex these characters are.

So let’s talk about the characters.

The main vehicles of metaphor for the regeneration myth are Furiosa, Max and Nux. The secondary players are Immortan Joe’s wives and the Vuvalini (derived from vulva – origin of life). Immortan Joe carries the entire warrior myth on his shoulders and though he is aided by his race of mad underlings and very interesting goons, the bulk of this analysis will remain on Joe.

Furiosa is without a doubt the manifestation of the symbol of the ancient patriarchal warrior from the nomad tribes. She is strong, purpose driven, tough, smart and imperfect. Her quest is for redemption and in fulfilling it she will die and be re-born to a bigger, more complicated quest. She transitions from an exterior quest to the journey of the interior. She has a mechanical arm, which denotes that she is in a sense still part of the system. The mechanical, the computerized, whatever is not an organic part of the body is to be considered a symbol of systematization. Darth Vader lost his humanity to the empire and became more machine than man. Furiosa and Luke Skywalker lost a piece of themselves to the system, but where able to turn away from it. Furiosa’s catharsis reaches a climax by her willing removal of the mechanical arm. It represents her last vestige of attachment to the old world; the world of the warrior. Her shaved head hints to her origin as one the war boys; she has been stripped of her gender and began her existence as a homogenized part of that society. But she rose above the rest and became the Imperator. It signifies her psychological and physical ascension. This is why she is able to transition into the next level of her psyche; she has in a way conquered her first quest.

Nux was an amazing character for me. He symbolized the archetype of the “fool” – the man-child constantly looking for purpose, but most importantly, is always looking for approval of the father figure. His life is devoid of meaning, driven only by the thirst of survival and the promise of Valhalla. But the hero’s path of the war boys does not lead to ascension or spiritual transition; the path of the war boys is the path of the ego. They don’t yearn for spiritual transcendence, they yearn for adulation from their peers. Valhalla means nothing unless their final act is “witnessed”. In a socio-cultural context, this is extremely relevant, as we live in an age when everyone wants to have a public life on social media. It seems like we all want to be the fool – “Witness me or else I lack importance.”

The slang for chrome used in this unholy ritual is brilliant. The idea that something pure, something shiny is a man-made artifact that has been lost forever is a clever symbol that emphasizes the lack of connection with the larger natural and spiritual world that transcends the present condition. Nux’s character arch is heartfelt and he finds the mystical help in one of the life givers. She guides him through the river Stix with love and understanding. But he has to find redemption and ascension in physical death, because his psychological chasm is so great, that he would have a mental breakdown if he was to make it to the new world. Sorry, Nux. Maybe in your next life.

Max’ journey begins as one of a slave. He is not just a slave to the system, but a slave of his own fear and self-hatred. His quest is one of forgiveness and redemption. Early in the film, Max is captured and tortured, and his escape is foiled in part by his inner demons. This metaphor of slavery serves to illustrate that Max has fallen to an ultimate low within himself and he is now close to death. He is being used as a “blood bag” and been completely disposed of his humanity. He is paraded as a trophy and his psyche is not yet ready to take on the role of savior. He must die first and be reborn. It is through sparing Nux’s life, although unwillingly, that his quest for a higher purpose begins. Though Max is a fighter and a trained warrior, his mythological symbol in this tale is one of Life-giver. He replenishes life and hence follows the energy of the female myth. It is because of his life-giving blood that he allows Nux to live, but more importantly it is through his blood that Furiosa is able to be re-born as a queen. Later on, Max responds to the call of action and serves as a protector. It is a choice that empowers him to accept the higher path. He comes back now as a fully developed protector with no agenda other than to help the mothers replenish the world. That is why at the end, he walks away. He walks away from power, from the old world. Max enters the final threshold in the myth; he finally enters the inner quest.

Immortan Joe: The name should say everything to you about what is going on in Miller’s mind. This name is meticulously crafted and it is broken up like this: The combination of the words immortal and important is our first hint at a linguistic deviation that comes from a culture that cannot process two complex ideas at once, hence merging them into their own comprehensible, simple concept. Immortan represents the symbol of a mystical creature that will live forever and it is of the outmost importance to survival – followed by Joe. By adding Joe, Miller has managed to take the God in to the realm of men. Joe is everyone’s father, the man the boys look up to, the man in charge of regenerating the world.

Immortan Joe is one of the best antagonists ever written. He is relentless, flawed and strangely charismatic. He looks like a monster to those who do not belong to his world, but like a God to those who do. His breathing device and armor tell us that he has fused with the machine world; he is now the system. His quest is not for power, but to return the world to life on his own terms. We can see that he is somewhat successful, by the hints of green at the top of the mountains and his ability to pump water. But this careful balance is not without its risks, hence the unholy alliance with the Oil and War lords. Here the author again takes the time to take a quick stab at our modern day, exemplifying the corruption that exists between the systems that control most of our lives: Oil (energy), War (death) and Water (life). These are no less than forces of life and death for all human beings. Immortan Joe is the culmination of the male energy force. It is through his will that the world will come to be. The ultimate response to the female force of chaos is the male response of absolute control. And so Joe represents that force, that desire to bring order through his control. Joe is the ultimate patriarch to which all boys look upon. He manipulates the world around him and will never let go of control.

It will take a warrior, a life-giver, a fool and the keepers of seeds to challenge this formidable foe, bringing down the old world and start anew. This is one of the best narratives of the regeneration myth and the heroes that rise do not do so by virtue of super powers, but by virtue of inner growth.

The film industry has misinterpreted the meaning of hero in the literal sense. They have taken an escapist approach and equated the concept of hero with spectacle. Modern super heroes acquire physical powers that enhance the boundaries of the human body, but for all the action, comedy, special effects and drama these movies have, they do nothing to advance storytelling or to explore the human psyche through symbols and metaphors. They are so intent in the literal translation that they want to rationalize a flying man. They want to dissect the science of the Gods and in doing so they are destroying the power of myth and metaphor.

What is brilliant about Miller’s approach is that all characters have access to tap into the deep mythological archetypes of the human psyche that reside in all of us regardless of gender. Their sex and social role is not imperiled by their choice of inner quest. Miller brings back to storytelling a deep sense of metaphor and symbolism that allows us to take the movie and use it as a mirror to uncover something about ourselves and our society.

I am excited to see him turn the literal into the metaphorical and give super hero films a new meaning.

#GoMillerGo

What is an EPK? An EPK or Electronic Press Kit is a package of digital materials that are used to promote your film. In this age where people seek out trailers, clips, and “making of” featurettes on everything from Twitter to Facebook to Youtube, an EPK is essential in building interest for your film. It gives the audience a taste of your story and a taste of you as a filmmaker.  Think of it this way: At its heart, an EPK is the place where you get all the elements together that are going to best promote you and your film.

So now that we know what an EPK is and how it’s used, let’s talk about what goes into an EPK. EPKs consist of many elements; the trailer, soundbites from the cast and filmmaker, clips from the film, and B-ROLL. How many clips, how many interviews and how much B-ROLL depends on the size of the production. A movie like The Avengers has numerous EPK crews following every stage of production.

Let’s take a look, shall we? Check out the below link for Mad Max: Fury Road. And make no mistake about it – this B-ROLL was seen by many eyes before it was approved to be a part of the EPK. Leave nothing to chance when the goal is to create interest in your movie.

Interviews from the cast and crew are typically done on set. Have you ever watched Entertainment Tonight or a “making of” featurette? Those interviews where the actors are in costume and the director is in his director’s chair on set – yup, those are part of the EPK. We call them ‘soundbites’ because the interviews are edited down to a quick 30-second to 1-minute clip of the actor or filmmaker commenting on a specific aspect of the project, be it their character, their co-stars or the filmmaker.

Here’s an example of soundbites taken from Dallas Buyer’s Club’s EPK – an EPK that Yours Truly was fortunate enough to work on.

“But back up for a minute, Heather – that interview wasn’t done on set!” You’re right. Because Dallas Buyers Club was such a small production, the EPK interviews were done after the movie was made and picked up by Focus Features. So just because you’re doing a run & gun shoot, that doesn’t mean you can’t put together a solid EPK after the fact.

The film clips section of the EPK usually consists of around five clips. Have you ever seen an announcement for a new clip from an upcoming movie? That’s part of the EPK. Ever noticed how when an actor goes from talk show to talk show they always seem to show the same clip? That’s because that clip is part of the EPK and has been selected because it presents the film and the actor at their best. The goal always being that if you see that clip then you’ll be intrigued and want to see more. Keep in mind the attention span (or lack thereof) of your average viewer, whether it’s online or on TV.

Here’s an EPK clip from a little movie that came out this summer, that you may have heard of:

Okay, so we’ve got B-ROLL, sound bites/interviews and film clips. Anything else? Why, yes! We also need stills and, especially when it comes to indie films, the director’s statement and production statements. It may seem like a lot, but like I said, the size of your EPK depends on the size of your project. A short film’s EPK might consist of a trailer, maybe a scene, stills and a director’s statement. This is your kit; the way you make it depends on how aggressively you want to promote your film.

And that leaves us with the big question – Why do I need an EPK?  Do you want your film to screen at festivals? Let’s assume that you do. When it does, do you want people to know about it, and even to come and see it? How do you plan to get them there? I’m a curious moviegoer and chances are that I’d like to see your film, but to see it, I have to know about it. Making an EPK to promote your film is one of the best ways for that to happen.

It’s understandable that if you’re a smaller, couple-hundred-thousand-$ production (or smaller), you can’t afford to have a whole EPK crew filming every minute. And let’s be honest, you may not want them to. But what you can have is someone on set taking stills. When you’re wrapped, you look through them and pick the two or three stills that best represent you and the making of your film. Think of creating an EPK the same way you do when you create a movie. It’s all in the planning. It should be part of the planning.

Film festivals want EPKs, because they want to promote your film. They create programs and ask for short bios on you and your actors. They ask for stills; shots of you being the awesome filmmaker that you are. Wouldn’t it be easier to have all that stuff put together beforehand? Big film festivals like Tribeca have their own criteria for exactly what can be in your EPK and how they want it delivered, so you should always be prepared to customize your EPK to a specific festival (or publication or talk show or blog). But remember that when you’re busy trying to market your passion project, you can’t afford to drop the ball. It’s better to have something ready to send when the call comes, than it is to have the dreaded oh shit! moment. Plenty of those to go around already.

So where do you start? Well, have you ever set up a project on WithoutABox or FilmFreeway? They help you set up your EPK by prompting you to add stills, a director’s statement, and a trailer. On WithoutABox it’s actually called a “Press Kit,” and you get to submit it when you submit your film to a festival. Once accepted the festival may want/invite you to submit more, but you’ve already promoted your film just by giving them those few elements.

This is a day and age where the marketing of your film starts almost as soon as you start pre-production on your film, in some cases even sooner.  Don’t let it overwhelm you. Your film isn’t about your EPK, but your EPK is about your film. So to close, here’s one last clip from a movie that also came out this summer. Does it make you want to see the film?

Editor’s note: While on the subject of EPKs and marketing your project, check out what social media expert, Devin Buttner, has to say about what social media can do for independent filmmakers. It all goes hand in hand.