Break a Leg

Why do I want to be part of Break a Leg? Well, let's see...

- As an actor with not a lot of camera experience, this is a good opportunity to get some. I've done a lot of stage work, mostly on a community theater level, and some extra work in tv and movies. I am always interested in getting any acting experience I can.
- As an actor who is as of yet largely unknown to the world, this is a good chance to get some exposure. With articles in publications like The Wall Street Journal, The LA Times, Backstage West, etc., it shows that whatever we're doing is starting to pay off in that regard.
- As a friend of the writer, it is a chance to work on a project with, well...friends, which is always better than working on stuff with total strangers. I've worked with Yuri and the rest of the guys on other projects, and I enjoy working with them, even though we often times don't see eye-to-eye on some things. But that's part of working as a team: learning to compromise. I find it easier to make concessions for friends than total strangers.
- From a content point of view, Yuri has had several of his works published, so I know that whatever he's writing, somebody out there likes. Quite a lot of people, actually. And Vlad also appears to be a very compentent writer. So, I can surmise from that that the writing on BaL will be quality stuff. Besides the fact that I personally think it's good stuff as well.
- I may be breaking new ground as being the first actor to play a man named Jennifer...at least, in some not-cross-dressing sort of way.

Break A Leg is something different. We all work full time jobs. We're spread out all over the place. With such a large cast, it's often difficult to get people's schedules to work as far as shooting scenes go. When we do shoot, it's usually late into the night or takes up one of the few days I have off. We don't get paid. The food provided is...well-intentioned. I am not rich and/or famous yet. As of yet, I have received no sexual favors. I don't get to do most of the things I personally think would be funny. But would I change any of it? Hell yes! But would I give up on Break A Leg? Hell no. Because I believe in Break A Leg. I believe we are going places. And I can't wait to find out where that is.

Hahah, Well intentioned, that's probably the nicest way anyone's ever put that :0P.

Although we can't truly knock the craft services, Hilary our production coordinator is in charge of them and tends to provide us with tasty healthy snacks, like carrots and knock off oreos, weeee. My favorites are probably the fruit rollup like things, or maybe the fruit snacks shaped like sharks... It's too bad though, I was never around for the days long past in which the infamous bagel dogs made their appearance.

I should make an ammendment or two to my post:

Any indie project, and even a lot of professional stuff I've worked on has pretty much the same conditions. It is the nature of the business. So if you're expeting to show up on a Hollywood set and be treated like a king/queen and work resonable hours and have lots of leisure time left over to spend your millions of dallors while having sex with super models in a hot tub that's installed in the back of a limo while having filet mignon hand-fed to you by the other supermodels that you're not having sex with...well, just, no.

And we have actually had some pretty sweet spreads lately on the BaL sets, thanks to Hilbot. The days of Pringles and Diet Coke are well behind us.

Thanks guys; that was illuminating.
You're really dedicated to what you do.

Yeah the food was bomb diggity last time!

I was wondering where does the microphone plug in? Is it straight into the camera, or something completely different?

Just thought I'd add a little potentially helpful info for budding film makers. This is a link to a $14 steady-cam design. Haven't built it myself (still saving pennies to buy a camera) but it's been around a long time. Check out the video examples.

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/steadycam/

The mic plugs into my.... nevermind.

What happens when we show up to a shoot with these guys is you eat some carrots out of the trunk of Hillary's car (with awesome hummus, where did you get that Hil?), then Justin throws soot at you.

Yes, soot.

Don't forget the Chex mix.

And the Snap peas! God how I love snap peas.

I'm going to lightly bump this thread to the top because a few people have asked us some film questions in private and I figured I'd get this thread going again, in case anyone has any questions about anything in the last episode, or the conversations, or general filmmaking, writing, acting questions for any of us.

So, buuump.

Dear Yuri,
How do you find time to write a show? Are you working elsewhere full-time and writing on free time, or writing full time only? If you're writing full time, how do you have money to live? Did you go to college to learn to write? Graduate school? Please tell me, as I am curious.

Thankyou,
Phil

Hey Phil,

From my end, I have a tech job that pays the bills, and has a good amount of flexibility that lets me run to Starbucks in the middle of the day for a writing session (which would be in fifteen minutes or so).

I also have a BA in creative writing, but I think I've pretty much been writing since I learned to scribble. That being said, I do wish that I'd taken more playwrighting classes in college -- I was always more of a fiction guy. Still, there's nothing like learning while doing.

As for Yuri, he does write full time and for actual money -- mostly for tech sites. He also has a couple of published plays (he started as a playwright), and is a head writer for a web show produced by the Mojo network.

We're also both really really hoping to quit all of our jobs and write Break a Leg for TV one day. You hear that, TV? We're waiting.

Vlad - do you think your proximity to LA is be beneficial to your writing career (Besides being able to fly down to meet Andy Corvell)?

It's beneficial in the sense that if Somebody Important (like Andy!) calls us in for a meeting, it's relatively easy for us to get there. On the other hand, we'd probably have to move to LA if the show got picked up. I love San Francisco and am a solid meh about LA, but if that's what we have to do to write for a living... I don't think I'd complain.

Thanks for the reply, Vlad. You're a real Borshch.

Sorry. I meant, "mensch".

I don't think you did. I think it's pretty well known that I'm red and delicious.

The reason I'm asking is that I'm graduating soon, I have material to shop around, and it's not so easy doing that from New Orleans. I mean, it's possible considering the "burgeoning" film industry here, but I just imagine it would be easier in CA.

I think it also depends on what you're doing. If you're filming your own thing, that's one thing. If you're specifically shopping a script around, that's another.

If you have scripts to shop around, check out writer's market, if you haven't already. They have a lot of different kinds of listings you can submit to, and you don't need to move anywhere -- at least not immediately.

There really are a lot of factors and I'm hardly an expert, but it seems like it's more important for an actor to be closer to LA than a writer. You don't need to go to auditions.

Right. Well, still, going to auditions as a writer can be a good thing, because as you're up in front of everyone, auditioning for Frightened Inmate #2, you can mention that "Some courier from Universal gave this script to me and told me to give it to you and then he ran out."

hey guys! :)

I'm thinking of starting an indie-filmproduction at my school in germany.
I've done some films and animations for my own and sometimes for some other school-projects, but this new project should be 'something great'.
i can borrow most of the equipment i'll need (like sound, light, location) from school but there's one thing i have to buy (and because of it's the money of the school i have to buy the right thing)!

Do you know any good camera thath costs less (or maybe a *bit*) than 1.000 (1.600$)?
it doesn't need to be the best camera (HD not required) but it should have great colors und sharp shapes.

Greetings from Germany,

Benjamin

P.s.: I hope my english isn't too bad. ;)

Though I think it's around $3000 now US, the DVX100B is a beautiful, beautiful camera. So, if you can somehow raise $1400 more, I'd suggest buying that. Justin and Dashiell (the camera guys) should respond to you tomorrow with a much better answer!

Yeah the DVX is the only camera I've worked with that wasn't HD that provided the best picture quality. There may be other cameras on the market, it'd require some research, but I'd highly suggest getting something that shoots in 24fps, it just provides the right look. I'm sure you can find some good cameras out there, but the DVX looks great from what we shot with it.