The Big Picture

Robert Nott |

4/3/2008 - 4/4/08

There are small roles

Here's what I learned at the NM Filmmakers Conference & First Vision Forum on March 28 and 29:

1) The No. 1 export from this country is dreams — and movies express those dreams best.
2) Today, your movie has a better chance of getting seen than ever before.
3) It's not a good idea to shoot a scene outside a Burger King if you didn't get Burger King's permission.
4) Proofread your application for film school.
5) If you're an extra on a film set, don't ask the stars for autographs.

I attended eight presentations during the conference, and overall I was impressed with the speakers and what they had to say. Granted, some of the information was pretty basic, and anyone with half a brain should know this stuff anyway (see points 3, 4, and 5 above).

This is the second official conference, according to Jody Delaney, program director of NM Filmmakers for the state's film office. She said that the conference is intended to celebrate New Mexico's media industries, help people make connections, and educate those new to the industry. She figured about 700 people signed up for the conference, held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Albuquerque.

The first speaker was film director Gregory Nava (El Norte, Bordertown), who gave an impassioned speech about, well, passion. His target audience was novice filmmakers. "Twenty-five years ago, I was just like every one of you — and I still am." Nava spoke about linking film scenes with sharp editing (he screened some transitional scenes from Lawrence of Arabia, Citizen Kane, and El Norte) and inspiring actors to give their all.

Nava worked one-on-one with a couple of actresses on a scene from Beth Henley's play Crimes of the Heart. It was an exciting bit of theater business as he pushed and prodded the duo in the darkly comic scene — an attempted suicide. He certainly got his performers to invest emotionally in every moment, but I felt bad for the actresses, who were badgered on the spot in front of an audience — an unusual setup, as Nava acknowledged, since rehearsals are usually done in "secret." He knew he was being tough on them. "I admit I'm an asshole, but actors love working with me because they know I won't print it until it's right."

Nava was followed by Mitch Levine, president of the consulting organization The Film Festival Group, who spoke about getting your film into the global marketplace. He was terrific, infusing the audience with a sense that anything was possible — if you research your market. He offered common-sense advice, like: get a photographer to shoot stills from your movie for publicity purposes; hire a lawyer to help with the contracts; if you have a short film, don't put the entire thing on YouTube or nobody else will want to show it; and get permission from Burger King.

Other panel discussions included "Doing It All: The Independent Producer," "Film Financing and All Things Legal," and "Acting 101: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Acting in New Mexico but Were Afraid to Ask." In a nutshell, the first one, which featured four producers — Dan Bigbee, Barbara Martinez-Jitner, Heather Rae, and Neema Barnette — offered broad advice ("Turn your passion into the product and your own self-reward," and "If you're a filmmaker, make the film!"), but the panelists seemed keen to help, and several audience members told me they found this event inspiring.

The film-financing chat by entertainment lawyer Harris Tulchin was a dry talk full of legalese. He said that many beginner filmmakers fail to get clearance-form agreements signed, which can cause a lot of trouble when it comes time to screen the movie. Though I didn't become too invested in this presentation, Tulchin received more questions from the audience than any other speaker.

In "Acting 101," there was some sound advice on how to break into the Screen Actors Guild, how to prepare a résumé, how to act on the set, and the need to land an agent (no easy advice on how to do that, however). When an audience member expressed frustration that she could only get nonspeaking or one-line roles in New Mexico movies, Julie Crane, executive director of the New Mexico branch of the Screen Actors Guild, responded, "These may be small roles, but these are big projects. Ed Harris may only hire you to say one line, but he may remember you. You have less chance to get lost here; there are better opportunities for newcomers in New Mexico film." She was echoed by casting director and actress Angelique Midthunder. "You couldn't get an audition for one line for Ed Harris or Ron Howard in L.A."

My favorite speaker was Jeff Valdez, founder of the Latino cable network SiTV and co-chairman of the distribution/releasing company Maya Entertainment. He gave the keynote address, "Thoughts Become Things: Being a Media Entrepreneur." He was dynamite-charged with enthusiastic tips about surviving the business. Be persistent: he heard six years of "no" before he finally broke through with SiTV. And, he noted, "A TV series may be your heart, your soul, your art — but to network executives it's a product for profit. Don't take it personally."

Be aware of where you are when you talk deals, Valdez said. He recalled how he was on an airplane when he got a call on his cellphone about a pilot for a new series that he had pitched. He was so elated he lost track of where he was. "I can shoot the pilot — I will shoot the pilot!"

If you missed the conference, which was free, call the film office at 476-5600 for a video (it's free, but may not be ready for a couple of weeks). It's great that the state offers this event to support its filmmakers. But I spoke with a few visitors who had been at the previous year's conference and thought there was considerable repetition this time around. If that's true, the state should shake up the lineup next year.