Worries, Pt. 2

My woes aren't so bad regarding my film anymore. Matter of Chance came to the rescue in the form of Josh and Angie. They helped me gather props, costumes, materials and other items for the film. In fact, I think we've got a surplus on props...some of this stuff...actually, a lot of this stuff can be used again in future films. A nice big credit is in store for Angie's family, who donated some outstanding items. They've taken this thing to a whole other level.
Also, I've managed to get a fog machine for this venture. I think it'll add a nice layer to my cinematography. Thanks to Chad for that contribution.

The acting side of the piece will have to work itself out. I've found that one thing generally has to work itself out before the shooting date of a film. Last semester, it was locations. This semester seems to be actors. It's like a running theme chosen at random; maybe next semester I'll have a drought in costumes and props.

I've got a lot of friends though, at the school and everywhere else, who can fill in roles. I'm not worried.

Friday night Josh showed me George Lucas' first film, THX 1138. I'm ashamed to say that I hadn't seen it until now. But, let me just comment that I was completely astounded by it, all in terms of story, directing and cinematography. As you probably know, THX was a take on Lucas' student film (of the same name I believe) that took place in the grim, yet sterile future. Consumerism reigns, humanity is quaffed. Finally, one man decides to break out of the constrictive system and attempt to regain what humanity lost.

Some of the shots in this film were incredible. And I mean, just outright picturesque. Lucas really had some dynamic imagery in his youth. That's not to say that he hasn't remained powerful in his use of images, but I think he was easily at his strongest with this film. The story, like most Lucas stories, borrows from popular myth and fiction, but is so nicely executed, that it replaces those myths and fictions. It's a warning against consumerism for the sake of consuming. And I think it holds special weight in this time.

I went online to the Internet Movie Data Base and checked out the trivia for THX, and I found some interesting things:

The underground chase near the end was shot in a not-yet-completed segment of the BART subway system in San Francisco.

I commented during this part of the film that the location Lucas found was really unbelievable. Josh mentioned that he believed it to be the incomplete bay area transport. He was right.

George Lucas claims that the scene where technicians mess with THX's nervous system, sending him into comical spasms, was drawn from his antipathy towards the doctors who treated him after his near-fatal car crash as a youth.

Probably one of the most bizarre scenes in the movie and one of the most disturbing was this scene. It was almost comical. These two attendants were watching THX and playing around with his nervous system, switching around controls and twisting dials, all without scant a clue as to what effect it might have on his body.

To provide the large number of extras required, George Lucas contacted the Synanon drug rehabilitation facility. He found many recovering drug users who were quite happy to be shaved bald for the movie.

Is that all I have to do to get extras?! Sign me up.

To provide the voices of the unseen overseers and announcers, George Lucas contacted San Francisco-based theater group The Corporation. He gave them brief character outlines, and allowed the actors to improvise all the "overheard" dialogue in the movie.

That last bit is of special interest, because Josh is currently working on announcer voices for our film AGTC. I find it ironic that the group who did Lucas' voices was "The Corporation", a name that we used in early story outlines to reference the umbrella organization that would later become AGTC.

-Brock