Making Movies with Rodney Benson – The Greatest Proposal Ever #indiefilm

All of the months spent on writing a screenplay, hiring actors, finding crew and shooting my latest work, I figured it’s time for you all to meet the cast members of “Abyss.” The movie -- about a guy who gets stranded at a bus stop in Philadelphia -- is currently in post-production and prepping for its film festival debut.

Rodney Benson plays Eric, an Armor officer who attempts to propose to his girlfriend, in the short film, “Abyss.” Benson was cast in this role because he illustrated great chemistry with the actresses I paired him to read with during the auditions. Further observation indicated that he would not only be focused, but also give 100% of his talents and energy to this role.

There were a few traits about Benson that gave me a feeling he is a professional who stands by his word, shows up to work and gets things done. I liked him as Eric and believed that he could pull off the image of someone who appears to have their life in order. I also liked how well Benson showcased an ability to improv a scene, adapting his behavior to suit the nature of various relationships and circumstances, when necessary.

Here is what one of the members of my casting team said about Rodney.

“I think he is the perfect mix of rough and sweet”

Each of us had different reasons why we wanted him for this movie during the casting process but one thing's for sure, there is no one else who could have pulled the role of Eric off the way he does.

Want the latest updates on Abyss as soon as they become available?
Contribute to my IndieGoGo campaign, to help make our film festival premiere happen!

*Get involved by sharing this movie’s link with your friends & followers: http://igg.me/at/abyssmovie

What Happens on a Film Set is None of Your Business! -- According to Daniel Craig

I’ve seen bloopers from many films -- some entertaining such as those from the comedy “Liar Liar” starring Jim Carrey and others that were boring including some of the “Bad Boys II” outtakes. Who hasn’t? No matter how funny or amazing or silly blooper reels are to watch, however, they’ve long since lost their novelty; still, movie goers expect to see them -- if not during the promotional period leading up to a film’s release -- at the very least, on the special features menu of its DVD.

If you’re a James Bond fan, you may not want to hold their breath waiting to see any “Skyfall” bloopers -- not now or anytime in the near future. Actor Daniel Craig, star of this twenty-third James Bond film, says the cast and crew were treated to a hilarious blooper reel during their wrap party -- but, no one outside of that group is going to see them. When it comes to audiences’ inability to access these types of extras, Craig wouldn’t have it any other way...

© 2012 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All rights reserved. / Danjaq, LLC, United Artists Corporation, Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.“It’s what happens on a film set. You want to be in film? Get a job. -- People are like, ‘Show [the outtakes]!’ And it’s like, No! It’s a secret. It’s like smoke and mirrors.

It’s like that magician thing of giving the gag away. I really kind of respect that -- I think it’s great that you can keep a secret. ‘How does that trick work?’ None of your business!” - Daniel Craig

While I understand the importance of preserving the magic of movies, I also believe that showing bloopers from any film -- including a James Bond movie -- does not detract from the amazement of the final film itself nor does it give audiences an all-access pass to the inner workings of a movie set. If anything, it makes people more in awe of the magic and keeps them on the edge of their seats in anticipation for what comes next. Either that, or it makes them want to rewatch the film and brag to their friends about the fact that they know some juicy details about the making of the movie. Of course, this is assuming that the blooper reel is any good or worth watching at all.

There are times when sharing details about the making of a movie does more help than harm. “Life Of Pi” has a whole marketing campaign centered on how Ang Lee’s special effects department built a computer generated tiger -- going so far as to promote itself as the next “Avatar” -- another movie that didn’t hold much back in terms of telling and showing audiences about all of the fancy things that James Cameron and his production team did to make one of the most expensive movies ever released. No matter how much (or how little) I already know about the making of “Life Of Pi,” I’m still celebrating my birthday weekend watching it -- in 3D!

Having had the pleasure (and unfortunate displeasure at times) of making my own films, I know that there are tidbits about the scenes (such as having to reorder a key prop because the first one arrived broken or the wrong size; two actors started fist fighting, the caterer got punched in the process and called the cops) and related things that probably happened on the “Life Of Pi” movie set that none of us will ever know. Now, THAT’s the kind of stuff that people do have to literally work in film to find out.

What are the funniest movie outtakes that YOU ever saw?

The Daniel Craig “Method” of Filming a Scene - Do Whatever Works! #indiefilm

"Method actors suggest that you do sense memory exercises every time you do a scene. I use every method I can. Whatever works, I'll use." - Daniel Craig on his nameless role in the gangster film "Layer Cake."

While initially shooting the main scenes for a short motion picture that I’m working on, it has become obvious that some of the rules taught in schools and books about production need not apply to this particular project. Blocking scenes -- an often essential part of the moviemaking process, is one of these rules. Most filmmakers, film professors and related experts will probably tell you that blocking is necessary for everyone including cast and crew to know where to stand or which directions to move in a scene.

Yes, blocking makes things move quicker and easier since people know how they are going to fulfill whatever role they’re playing (acting, makeup, focus pulling, cinematography, etc.) in the production. I won’t deny that. Blocking can also cause confusion, divides focus and lead to actors forgetting other important parts of the scene, such as the dialogue -- something that was brought to my attention this month. On this current project, I’ve started to realize that sometimes, blocking is not a useful method for which to set up some of the scenes that we’re shooting.

British actor Daniel Craig, who plays James Bond in “Skyfall” does not adhere to one particular method of preparing for a movie scene. Instead, Craig utilizes whatever helps him get into character for the particular role and production that he is involved in. Perhaps, it would do many filmmakers some good to take a page from his book of setups and preparation -- including me.

For the most part, it does not matter how you get to your destination, so long as you make it there. What started out to be so simple in concept became a little more involved than I anticipated. Now, I must adapt and adjust where necessary to make sure that the bigger picture is not lost in the shadows of minor details like whether a guy sips his cup of tea before or after he walks through a door. It doesn’t really fucking matter -- just get him moving; and no, this scenario is not from the production I’m in the middle of now. That would be too easy.

Thank You all for visiting and interacting with this blog. I know that it’s behind on the Monday Movie Meme (let’s just skip this week, ok?) and the King Dong series among other posts. I will do what I can to keep this thing going and not lose my mind in the process.

If you have any requests with regards to these blog series or any others (movie cocktails, reviews, festivals, events, interviews, etc.), feel free to send them my way.