I wish I’d had a 10 percent better understanding and insight into the case when I started the movie. I say that because this has been the most complicated and difficult film I’ve ever made. The story was legally complex and took place 30 years ago. I am not a lawyer. Although my father was a politician and a judge, I do not know the inner workings of the DA’s office or how lawyers and judges behave or bargain with one another. What’s more, there were only a limited number of people I could talk to. These people were not […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Jan 16, 2008I don’t believe that you can look back and wish for 10 percent more of anything. Time and money are obviously things you want more of. However, the process of filmmaking is so much like life that the unexpected in life eliminates regret and lamenting what could have been. It doesn’t work that way. [PREMIERE SCREENING: Monday, Jan. 21, 3:15 pm — Eccles Theatre, Park City]
by Jason Guerrasio on Jan 16, 2008I wished I had 10 percent more silence while making the film. [PREMIERE SCREENING: Friday, Jan. 18, 11:30 am — Racquet Club, Park City]
by Jason Guerrasio on Jan 16, 2008I wish I had had 10 percent more shooting days. We shot Otto; or, Up with Dead People in 20 days, and that was almost consecutively. If you include the day I spent in a studio recording voiceovers, which had to be done then owing to the complicated availability of the actors, I worked on the film shoot 20 days in a row. My d.p. had one day off in 20. The days were extremely packed and long, so much so that we almost had a crew mutiny on our hands at one point. In the interests of sanity, there […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Jan 16, 2008In making an independent movie, you go into it understanding that you have certain limitations and therefore you have to find ways to compensate and not sacrifice content or the essence of what you are attempting to do. What Just Happened? was shot on a very lean 33-day schedule, and there were more than 80 locations. I shoot fast so it wasn’t a problem, but where I actually found myself constrained in terms of dollars was in the editing room when we were choosing the music for the film. There’s a good amount of source music, and you find yourself […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Jan 16, 2008I wish I had ten percent more of less worrying about time. Time is every filmmaker’s enemy, and of course you have to worry about getting everything you want. But worry too much, and that’s time you’re not thinking about whether you’re actually getting (or got) it. It’s wasted mental energy. Here’s what I did to help myself: For months before we began shooting I wrote down in a big book everything I wanted from every moment in the film. In between setups I’d force myself to stop worrying about everything else (time included) and reexamine those notes. Keep the […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Jan 15, 2008Well seeing as making a film can feel like living a lifetime this is the kind of question I imagine being asked by St. Peter when reaching the gates of heaven (although what with the nature of getting a film off the ground perhaps my chances of making it that far have now rapidly declined). However much like life, what I wanted 10 percent more or less of seemed to change every day. We shot in prison cells where we could certainly have done with 10 percent less heat from the lamps and in the sewers and water tanks we […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Jan 15, 2008This film is an exploration into why people use steroids, but we live in a time where steroids are an extremely taboo subject. As we were making the documentary, we were frustrated because we kept hitting roadblocks with people not wanting to talk honestly about their relationship with steroids. Even one of my best friends lied to me on camera. While we were shooting interviews for the film we would have liked 10 percent more honesty from many of the people involved in the steroid issue. However as we were editing the film, we realized that the fact that people […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Jan 15, 2008Ten percent more? The first thing I think of is time. We had 24 days to shoot a really intense ensemble piece with huge emotional and psychological scenes that had major effects and stunts, a hardcore sex scene involving five characters — and did I mention half the shoot was on a boat… at night? So sure, another 2.4 days would have been great but then… the energy and the fear of having to accomplish our schedule — that drove me through a lot of things. Another 10 percent and I suspect it would have just stretched to fill the […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Jan 15, 2008We were always running out of something: film stock, extras, sani-wipes, dessert at lunch, daylight, bodily strength, common sense, gum. But in the end it was usually enough. So what was lacking? Lately my therapist has been encouraging me to enjoy the creative process more. This one really should have been fun: a) It’s something I’ve wanted to make for many years. b) I got to work with awesome actors. c) The crew is composed of my cool friends. d) We got to shoot in Albuquerque, N.M., which is truly the Paris of the Southwest. So if I could get […]
by Jason Guerrasio on Jan 15, 2008