So last year I was in the cinema production workshop class at Humboldt State University. Since I have graduate status (maybe someday they’ll reopen the film program so I can be a Master!) I was given the position of being a production manager (scheduler/organizer and general guy with clipboard on set) on the workshop film for that year. It is a satire in the style of The Daily Show taking on Religious Right Wing Corporate Fascism. Written by the class instructor Tracy Boyd the satire entitled: What Would Jesus Buy? also examines different “American” groups that may be affected by the cultural/economic upheaval that is occurring the film.
Aside from my logistical duties my other contributions to this film (God I hope this isn’t the extent of my 15 minutes by proxy) include the Jelly Bellies in Prescott’s office (a subtle reference to Reagan that no one seemed to get(“I’m an artist and no one understands me”)). I also served as one of the camera operators, shooting much of the 16 mm film footage of the old lady and various still life shots of her bric-a-brac.
Anywho I was just posting about this since one of the editors on the project recently told me that he had posted it on the net back in March (hence the nobody tells me anything). So have at it! But I don’t remember what satire has to do with public opinion?
Its a bit heavy handed. I’m surprised you are surprised that they didn’t get the Reagan joke, because this isn’t exactly subtle.
The only part I really appreciated was the clips of family life and households as the news blared in the background. Thats the one thing that is really missing from the discourse: how this political media circus has almost no direct effect on the individual, but instead just seeps into his subconscious, and provides the background hum that pervades his life. Its socialization by being talked to incessantly. But even that came off a bit heavy handed (kid watching TV as his family prays…)
Meh, I can see the influence of these people in your ODF short, too. I think they were trying to make it too narrative, and honestly their idea of ‘narrative’ kind of sucks. The best parts were your stills, which had your fingerprints all over it.
Speaking of that, I finally burned a bunch of footage you had sitting on my computer, of your playing with dye and nature and so on. I should send that over.
Well I was telling a narrative story in ODF, there is no doubt about that. I’m curious what you have in your mind in regards to narrative? Stills are all well and good for stuff to watch but you can’t make screensavers all the time and most cinema is narrative, running the spectrum from bad to good. Tracy Boyd is the sole person who put the Jesus narrative together. We students were mainly crew handling issues of casting, set design, lighting, sound recording, etc. I think you do not give me enough credit (for what it’s worth)for my own work. None of the “people” who worked on both of these projects had much influence on his or mine, in terms of narrative content. You have forgotten that what you saw of my project was a rough cut. It’s all done now, with a sound design and tighter editing but still an aborted dream no doubt. Meh, there is no accounting for taste.