#firstfeatures

((image courtesy of IMDB))

Isaac will be in attendance for the FREE screening of SEX ED, Thursday, October 23rd at 7:00pm at Regal Cinemas Palm Springs. Doors open at 6:30 so be sure to grab a seat early & stay for the Q&A with Isaac & cast members Haley Joel Osment, Laura Harring and Ray Santiago.

‘Sex Ed’ is your first feature. What led you to become involved in directing this film?

The story for SEX ED is loosely inspired by a cousin of mine, who taught English abroad. I was set up on a creative "blind date" with the screenwriter Bill Kennedy, pitched him the story, and he and I went on to develop the script together. He wrote the screenplay, and I was always attached to direct. We have since become very close friends and collaborators. 

You have directed short films in the past including ‘Sadie & the Slot Machines’, which screened here at ShortFest in 2007. Would you say you have a preference when it comes to short form vs. features?

Making shorts is great for educational purposes, and SADIE was my thesis film while in graduate school at AFI. But for me, the goal has always been to make feature films. That's what I love to do.  

What was the biggest obstacle or challenge you ran into when making this film that you didn’t face when making shorts?  

The biggest obstacle, honestly, was finding a financing producer who believed in backing me as a first-time feature director. That's what takes so long to make a movie. But, the only way to become a director is to direct. And I'm very lucky that so many people who I work with, and I admire as well, believe in me. 

Sex Education class was informative, yet could get pretty uncomfortable as Haley Joel Osment’s character, Eddie, discovers. Do you have any odd, funny or memorable moments that come to mind from your own Sex Ed class in school?

I do! For me, the first time sexual education was discussed in school was 3rd grade. I distinctly remember, before the unit started, being taken out into the hallway by my teacher, with another classmate of mine. Our teacher said, "You two are leaders in our classroom, and this subject matter can cause some giggling. The other students will look to both of you, and I ask you to please be on your best behavior." It was a good talk, but proved futile. 

Making a comedy seems like it would be a blast, especially with this subject matter. Were there any on-set shenanigans you can tell us about?

We had a lot of fun making this movie. It was the summer, we were all away from home in Florida -- it felt like overnight camp. Everyone was happy to come to set and play: we became a group of friends coming together to make a movie. Chris Williams shaved "SEX ED" into his hair after he wrapped playing the Reverend. Haley, Glen Powell, Lamorne Morris, and Retta started getting very involved shooting Vines while we were on set. It was just a fun place.

We’re looking forward to sharing MUDBLOODS with you tomorrow night in Palm Springs at the First Features Screening!  Monday, September 15, 2014 @ 7:30 pm Camelot Theatres 2300 E. Baristo Road Palm Springs, CA 92262 The team shares their favorite Harry Potter books and films from the series. Cinematographer Jason Knutzen (@joknutzen)

Half Blood Prince I have to admit I’ve only read the first three books back when they first came out. By the time I got around to looking into the fourth book, the movies were coming out faster and faster - and it just became an easier time commitment to wait for the movies, and then listen to all my friends complain about how the movies left out so much from the book! However, I didn’t care, the movies were entertaining enough for me!

I’ve seen all the movies, and as a cinematographer, I’m drawn in by the visuals - lighting, camera, mood, visual tone - and as the story series got darker, so did the films, creating a very dramatic, beautiful look that I love to emulate in my own work whenever the project allows. A particular standout for me would have to be Half Blood Prince which was shot by the amazing French cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, ASC (Also shot such films as Amelie, A Very Long Engagement, Inside Llewyn Davis, and more). Whenever you can take familiar source material and put your own visual spin on it, and creating something that exceeds the preconceived “visions” in the head of book-readers, then you know you’ve really accomplished something very special. Producer Eric Martin (@ericfmartin)

Prisoner of Azkaban My favorite book and movie is without a doubt, Prisoner of Azkaban. First of all because I'm a sucker for a time travel plot. But also because this book was the one that hooked me on the series. It was the first time the characters began to really grapple with elements of the adult world, and it proved (to me at least) that this had the potential to be an exceptional series of stories. And I love the movie because I think it was the most daring and boldly directed of the bunch.

From the opening scene, to the scene where the boys are eating those candies that make them roar sound like elephants and lions, to the way the characters are dressed, and even their performance style... it was the first time they made the movie feel right, instead of just literally translating it to the screen, and I think the rest of the films sort of took their cues from there Producer Jeremy D. White  (@JeremyWhite09)

Deathly Hallows My favorite book has to be the last one, Deathly Hallows.  I’d started reading the Harry Potter books close to when they first came out and then continued reading with each new release as I grew up.  I was one of the millions of people who waited in line at midnight for the book stores to open with a ticket number in my hand.  Like so many other people, I grew up with these characters.  So expectations for this last book were impossibly high, far higher than anyone’s expectations for a seventh Star Wars movie, right?  But Deathly Hallows sticked the landing in every possible way.  I’ve rarely had as cathartic an experience with any piece of storytelling.  Now I’m crying just thinking about it, thanks. Favorite movie is a tough one but has to be Prisoner of Azkaban for all the obvious reasons.  I liked the first two movies, but Alfonso Cuaron made me invested and frightened and awe-inspired in all the right ways.  He captured the darker tone of the books and made a unique coming-of-age film.   ----

The MUDBLOODS team shares a few more sports documentaries to get you ready for their screening on Monday, September 15 @ 7:30 pm at Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs. Producer, Jeremy D. White starts us off with two very daring docs. ----

Man On Wire: Streaming on Netflix Few movies actually deserve to be called “awe-inspiring.”  This one does.  

Touching the Void: Streaming on Netflix Maybe not what you’d consider a “sports doc” but this is the quintessential story of competition — man’s competition with nature and, more importantly, with himself.  One of the movies that inspired me to make films in the first place.   ---- Cinematographer Jason Knutzen shares two very different documentary series and a glimpse into a character driven baseball piece that is pure entertainment.

Ken Burns Baseball: Streaming on Netflix I love watching any well made sports doc, I’m a sucker for all things baseball. I started watching Ken Burns Baseball the PBS doc series a few years ago and got so hooked, I finished the entire series in a day! Intense, but so worth it!

ESPN’s 30 for 30: Streaming on Netflix Other docs that I love would have to include the ESPN 30 for 30 series - this sports doc series is great and features different stories and characters I didn’t know much about, and if I did know about the story, I always walk away having learned something new and interesting.

The Battered Bastards of Baseball : Streaming on Netflix I recently watched the baseball doc The Battered Bastards of Baseball on Netflix, which was also fantastic and I can’t recommend highly enough! The key to all of these docs are the characters - not the sport itself, not the gameplay, none of the “sportscenter” type sports information blitz - the key is to gain an understanding of the key characters, and from there you begin to relate to them and enjoy the doc as a doc, instead of just as a sports fan! I think that’s one of the areas where Mudbloods really excels. Sure, it’s about a very unique sport but the doc isn’t only about Quiddich, it’s about the characters you meet along the way. These characters help you understand the sport, it’s fan-based roots, and brings you into UCLA team/family. The doc allows you to experience the glory of the win and agony of defeat, just as if you were on the UCLA team - only without having to run with a broom between your legs. ---- Let Jeremy and Jason know what think of their list. You can find them on Twitter: @JeremyWhite09 / @joknutzen

Director Farzad Sangari answers a few questions about his first feature documentary, MUDBLOODS. Originally from Iran, prior to making films Farzad studied both Literature and Film and worked in Education.  Transforming Harry Potter’s fictional competition into a physically demanding, real-life sport, Quidditch has secured its place as one of the fastest growing collegiate club sports today. MUDBLOODS follows the resilient underdogs of the UCLA Quidditch team as they make their way to the Fifth Annual Quidditch World Cup in New York City. Through nail biting victories and losses, the dreamers, creators and athletes who make up this exceptional community come together to make this magical sport into something you could’ve never imagined until now.

What was your inspiration for making this film?

The inspiration for the film was the people I met along the way.  I was constantly impressed by their creativity, imagination and spirit.   I felt that this thing they were involved in was so special and unique, and that more people should know about what they had created.  

Can you talk about the filmmaking journey and your team?

The journey started when I saw a group of Quidditch players playing Quidditch. From there I contacted the players and started to develop a relationship with them. Most of the time I shot with them on my own, but for bigger events such as games, scrimmages, etc. I worked with Jason Knutzen. Jason was instrumental in those early days of shooting because we developed a good working style together that would come in handy when we went to New York to shoot the World Cup. For the most part, it was just Jason and myself shooting the film, so we did not have the resources necessary to cover a competitive sport and a big sporting event the way it probably needed to be shot. We got around that by planning ahead as much as we could, and, as I said, developing a short hand about how to work together to cover bigger events.

How collaborative was the process at various stages of development, production, and post?

Once I got through the shooting, I began editing. I edited for about a year until I began working with Eric F. Martin and Jeremy David White. They helped me finish the film from that point, which quickly included the participation of our very talented composer and graphics/animation team members, Kevin Matley and Jennifer Sapanski.

I knew the post process on this film would take a long time. Not only in terms of editing (we shot it in a direct cinema style so there was a lot of footage to work through during editing), but also in terms of how music would be used to communicate emotion and how the graphics/animation would be employed to communicate a lot of crucial information in a short amount of time and as transitions. Moreover, Quidditch itself so new and unique, we had to attempt to match that distinctiveness as often as we could in the filmmaking process in order to really present it effectively. Fortunately for me, all the people who worked on this film (and that also includes Rebecca Olson, Jeffrey Fletcher, and Spencer Rabin) really believed in the ideas behind it, and were willing to go through the long process of developing distinct filmic elements that matched the content.

How was it working with your subjects, gaining access, and telling their story?

Working with the subjects and gaining their trust was extremely valuable not just for the film, but for me personally. When someone is willing to open themselves up to you in this way, and indiscriminately trust you to tell their story, you develop a strong relationship with them. The challenging thing for me at times was to separate myself from that connection enough to objectively present their story to an outside perspective. Yet, in the end, I think audiences that see this film will be drawn to these characters in the same way I was drawn to the confident and passionate manner in which they live their lives.

The MUDBLOODS teams has shared a list of their favorite documentaries. A few of the films chosen were direct influences on the vision of Mudbloods, all are great examples of storytelling in sports and several will reduce you to tears. Producer, Eric Martin starts us off with his top five.  There's a good list here to get you through this weekend. ---- I'm actually not a humungous sports fan. I don't have anything against sports - I watch the (soccer) World Cup when it comes around, and I love the Olympics, but I'm not the guy who spends the weekend watching a game. I do love competition though, so I've branched out a little and listed some of my favorite docs in that broader category.

Undefeated: Streaming on Netflix Okay, so I said I wasn't a huge sports fan, then I pick a doc about high school football. But really, it's impossible not to be moved by this film. It's gut wrenching, inspiring, thrilling, heartbreaking, and uplifting - a roller coaster of emotion that's one of my favorite movie watching experiences of any genre.

Senna: Streaming on Netflix On the surface, it's hard for me to imagine a sport I'm less interested in than automotive racing. But from the first frame, this film transcends the sport it features, and becomes about something a whole lot bigger. The movie is like an opera, playing out in epic scope, I'm left in awe of it's achievements every time I watch it.

The King of Kong: On Netflix DVD Nerd on nerd competition holds a special place in my heart. This doc effortlessly weaves side splitting humor with nerve wracking tension, and manages to build it all around something as absurd as a platform game. What's not to love?

Hoop Dreams: Streaming on Netflix There's nothing I can say about Hoop Dreams that hasn't been said better by someone else out there. Like the peerless Roger Ebert, who called it, "one of the great moviegoing experiences of my lifetime." If that doesn't convince you to stop what you're doing and watch it, nothing ever will.

Kings of Pastry: Streaming on Netflix A handful of chefs travel to France and compete for the highest honor amongst pastry chefs - the M.O.F. "The collar" as it's called, is such a big deal that if you wear one under false pretenses, you can go to jail. It takes half a lifetime of training just to be accepted to compete, and the grueling physical and mental effort the hopefuls go through is astounding. I guarantee you'll be either cheering in support of your favorite or just plain breathless by the end of this movie.
 This doc also holds a special place for me because it's the movie Farzad and I came back to time and again while we were structuring Mudbloods. We loved the way this movie felt, the way it built characters and the way it invested you in the competition, and we used it as a touchstone throughout the editorial process. ---- Let Eric know what you think of his list. You can find him on Twitter: @ericfmartin.