Making it in Hollywood: An Interview with Actor Mark Atteberry

Every year, thousands head to Los Angeles, CA with the hopes of becoming icons for the film industry. Those that are in the mix will you tell you it’s certainly not as easy as one would think. Overnight success is a rarity, and very few find the gleaming lights of public notoriety and stardom. If one wants to navigate properly through the maze of connections he or she can find help from those who have already found some success in the business.

Enter, Hollywood Connect. Hollywood Connect (HC) exists to “[equip] creative artists and professionals to thrive personally and professionally in the arts, media, and entertainment industries” (HC website). HC hosted a well-attended Q&A with Mr. Mark Atteberry recently, and in this gathering, Shun Lee Fong led discussion and then fielded several questions from the audience to get Mark’s responses. I took notes feverishly and thought to share the wisdom – with Mark’s approval, of course.

Stage & Lighting Design: “On the Other Side of the Tracks”

I was fortunate to work with fellow creatives at Trinity Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida to create an eye-catching backdrop for a recent conference, specifically, handling the lighting aspect. Jonathan Malm (twitter: @jonathanmalm) posted a great article regarding the project on his website, Church Stage Design Ideas.

1 Busy Week with CA Film Crew

It was an honor to work with a California team this year on the 168 Film Project as Executive Producer. Beyond this, I was able to fill in behind the scenes taking both photo an video, editing, and managing special FX. Here’s a brief overview of our week.

ARRIVAL: Producer Christopher Shawn Shaw met me at LAX, & from there we headed North to stay in Simi Valley, which would be our home base for 5 nights (until Tuesday morning). Prior to this point, Thor Ramsey and Torry Martin wrote our script and most legwork had been done on securing our locations and actors, etc.

DAY 1: Leaving about 7:30 am Friday, February 17, we headed to Redlands, CA, about a two-hour trek. Me, I always enjoy the mountains – a huge contrast from Florida – so the terrain helped the trip to go more quickly than I would have thought. At this point, I assumed an additional role for most of the production days – chauffeur to Mr. Shaw. This allowed him a little less stress as he thought through each shoot. As a producer, it’s critical to keep your director’s mind fresh.

Shooting took place at Kimberly Crest House and Gardens,

“I Need a Car” A True Run-n-Gun Video Production

Okay, first, watch “I Need a Car” and see the clip on facebook, then read how it was completed.

I usually don’t do stuff last minute, but it must have been fate that I was thinking about WJXT’s Morning Jam Contest when I was approached by a guy who asked me to help him win a car. Unfortunately, I only had two days to complete the project. GULP! So, I threw all caution to the wind and did a true “run-n-gun” production. 

Intrinsics & Production’s 3 Major Forces

Most anyone who produces anything (books, videos, toys, cars) can tell you the three major forces that are constantly tugging at each other: Cost, Time, and Quality. Essentially, you can pick two of these items, but the third will be pulled from the sum of the other two. For instance, if I choose to do a quickly done project with high quality, I should expect to pay more for it. Similarly, choosing to go on a reduced budget within a short timeframe, I should expect to find a sacrifice  in quality. The opposite is true if I choose a high budget and a longer production time – quality will certainly go up.

For some time I’ve prided myself in the fact that I’ve been able to still provide quality in spite of a lack of time or funding in most of the productions that I’ve been asked to produce. However, in taking a closer look at the three pulls, they do little to recognize the intrinsic value of the artist(s) involved in the project. Let me explain.

UK ‘Priest’ Trailer Editor Headed to Hollywood, Courtesy of Sony Pictures

A few months ago, Sony followed three film students from the United Kingdom as they competed for the best edit of a trailer for the film, “Priest.” Of these, Mr. Joshua Sanger stands triumphant. You can see details and read my critique of each of their edits in the competition here. Just recently, I learned that Joshua is about set for his awaited venture to Sony Studios where he will be fortunate to meet top execs and to observe daily activities at the studio. For many young filmmakers, this is a dream come-true, or maybe better, a dream getting ready to begin. Even though I won’t be there, I took some time to think about items that I would do if I were Joshua. Here are my thoughts (in both serious and entertaining ventures)…

Questions to ask:

• Economy has had an impact on filmmaking over the last few years. How has that affected your decision-making process? What criteria do you consider to determine if a film will be successful in theaters?
• What are the top qualities you look for in up-and-coming producers and directors? Are there any personality traits you’ve seen that stand out?
•  How were you (speaking to execs) able to find your way through the ranks to get to your position? Was it chance timing, planned effort, or others with vision that helped you through?
•  To the budding filmmaker who thinks he/she has what it takes, what is one piece of advice you would give them to follow if they are going to be successful?
• What is Sony’s vision/goal for creating entertainment? Is a sense of vision important? How does your vision impact day-to-day activities for both yourself and employees?
• What do you do that separates you from other film studios, and how is that niche maintained?
•  What is your favorite film to go out in the past 3 years?
•  What future films are in the works that you are really looking forward to seeing in the theaters?

 Things to Do:

• Walk of stars (of course!)
•  In-depth tour of Sony Studios and production work (a free-be this time).
•  Hollywood & Beverly Hills Tour
• Try a couple west coast fast food locations: In and Out Burger and Jack-in-a-Box and review your experience.
• I’d really entertain spending some time with some everyday employees, too, since they are the backbone of the company. Consider having a pizza party with a group of grips or spending some time with some editors to find out how they’ve gotten to where they are.
• If you really get bored, then find some time to shoot and then edit yourself into a scene from the upcoming ‘Amazing Spiderman,’ climbing a wall or something.

 Challenges (on a not-so-serious note, but might still be worth trying):

• Rent an exotic sports car and cruise down Mulholland Drive. Consider a call to Top Gear (USA or UK) or Jay Leno to see if they can match your time through the bends. Otherwise, maybe you can challenge Will Smith, but he has to wear a suite from a Men in Black film.
•  Try to find and pull a yellow brick from stage 27.
•  Measure Stage 15 with toothpicks. How many would be used around its perimeter? (Stage 15 happens to be the second largest sound stage in the world. It was used
•  Climb to the top of the Sony Studios water tower and repel back to the ground.
•  Attempt to find an open office and move your stuff into it. After you’ve done that, find me one and set it up for my arrival.

Hope your trip goes well, Joshua. Live it up!

‘Wrecked’ Selected for Central Florida Film Festival

'Wrecked' has been qualified as an Official Selection of the Central Florida Film Festival. Exciting to move forward. This is a tribute to God's blessing, team work, and great talent.

Editing a Successful Film Trailer

When it comes to creating a successful film trailer, many new producers and editors will settle for a quick overview of the entire movie. Come to think of it, many big films are guilty of this too, and then the audience wonders why they had to pay to see the flick in the first place, since they learned the entire plot in the minute spot they saw on TV! Here are a few concise tidbits you can follow as you create a tight and entertaining trailer that will draw people to want to see your film.

Simple Steps on How to Be Creative

I was doing some TRAFing (Toss, Refer, Act, or File) of a pile of stuff I allowed to accumulate in the one possible storage location in my little office, and I came across this set of notes I took from Ed Young, Jr. at a C3 conference back in 2005. Obviously, I’m about to throw the notes away, but I really want to refer back to the great points made; I also think that any creative individual can use these, too. I’ve taken the liberty to adjust the notes a bit from Ed’s “10.5 Commandments of Creativity” to something more palatable outside of the church, too.

It is super important for creative people to use their creativity. There is thought to be nothing more stifling to creatives than to have that freedom taken away – like possibly being exiled at work into the dark dungeon of a gray cubicle with nothing allowed but the phone, a computer with limited access, a pen, and maybe a picture of the family, for instance. Of course, we often find a way to get around the boundaries, drawing on napkins or doodling on notes in meetings, but there is nothing more refreshing than being given the license to think 0n a grand scale. Yet, I believe that many people stifle their own creativity even more than their employers or environments could do by not considering how they can maximize it. Rather, they limit themselves by creating undue stress, amassing projects in tight deadlines, and also by merely not developing themselves fully. 

Online Video Distribution for Indie Filmmakers

In the past, most indie filmmakers needed to promote their work through festivals to gain enough support for distribution. Few studios pick up films, and so many others wonder aimlessly around the States, or even the world, hoping for a chance to be recognized… Behold! There is a light rising, and its warm rays may spell out your opportunity.