Cynematik • Cyndi Greening

BY CYNDI GREENING, LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – We’ve found a real jewel in Zambia. Mulenga Kapwepwe, the Chairman of the National Arts Council Board has been a real Godsend. She helped us find fantastic storytellers and a terrific student audience. She’s also deeply committed to capacity-building in the area of fine art and performing arts in Zambia.

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BY CYNDI GREENING, LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – We’re at the end of week two and we’ve had some wonderful performances turned in this week. We’ve had some logistical nightmares and challenges getting all of the cast together but, in the end, when we’re rolling, we’re getting some terrific performances!! This photo was taken on the set during one of the key transformation scenes for all of the main characters.

Kudos to Mike Montesa for capturing this photo of the confrontation between Mutinta and Chilufya. The photo reveals the power of the performance and the scene.

In response to what Sotiris wrote about the history of film in Zambia … I’m going to have Jabbes respond to this because he understands it a lot better than I do. Jabbes said those other films were made by other countries (Britain) and they didn’t star Zambians nor have a Zambian director nor were they written by a Zambian. Whatever has been attempted and/or completed before doesn’t really affect what we’re trying to do. We’re simply doing the best we can to support the Voice of this African Nation. So, we head into the last week in high spirits and with high hopes for something that will really be something that Zambians love … their own story, told by their own people.

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BY CYNDI GREENING, PRODUCER, LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – On Friday, we had a wonderful shooting experience. The folks a ZNBC, ZNIS and ZAMNET allowed us to use a soundproof stage to shoot the classroom scenes in the film. With all of the children there, the teacher and the policeman, we really needed the space. It also allowed us to build a lot more motion into the shots. We were able to use the dolly and the glidecam. We could have used a few more area lights. Of course all of the equipment means nothing if you don’t have good actors. We had some wonderful child actors. The children are so natural on camera; they aren’t self-conscious at all. In fact, they barely seem self-aware. One of my favorites was little Alisam Piri. I learned how a Zambian child indicates he doesn’t know what to do. I asked him to write his name on a piece of paper. He quickly complied. When I asked him to write his numbers, he turned his hand palm up and waved it from side to side. Monica, his teacher, said, “He doesn’t know his numbers yet.” He was a great little actor. We even made him cry on cue.

When they were acting, Jabbes promised them each a very special present. He gave them each a brand new MCC pencil of their very own. They were very excited with that gift. I can’t imagine American actors being satisfied with a pencil. Jabbes has been doing a good job with the actors. I’m surprised how well they take direction. He tells them what he’s trying to achieve and they respond so well. Even the more seasoned actors have been really great about giving him what he wants.

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After an incredibly long, hard week, the crew got some good downtime this weekend. In addition to going to a fun restaurant and Congolese dance club, they got to go shopping on Sunday at a street market. They bought gifts for themselves and others. With a film crew, there is just no way to escape cameras. So, it was no surprise that our bus ride was spent getting fisheye photographs of everyone. It was silly. I think it was the most relaxed I’ve seen the crew since we left Phoenix Sky Harbor. They were tense when we left and anxious to do a good job all week so the stress level was high. It was good to see them laughing and playing around.

*Remember see African Voice blog for entries from the crew.

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We’ve been in Zambia for two weeks now. For those back in the U.S., it may seem like we’ve been gone a long time but time has raced for us. Trying to get a film shot in a foreign country in less than a month gobbles time.

In spite of our strenuous schedule, we are getting to see a bit of Lusaka. Our filming locations move us about the city quite a bit. When I was reading about Zambia before I left Arizona, I read that there were 800,000 people in the city. Phoenix has about a population of about a million and is the national capital so I thought Lusaka would have a similar feel and rhythm to Phoenix but it doesn’t.

My childhood hometown of Chippewa Falls has a population of only 12,500. The college that I teach at has more than twice as many students as my hometown. Currently, there are more than 28,000 students as Mesa Community College. I was surprised to discover that Lusaka feels more like Chippewa than Phoenix. Much more. It’s a bit more spread out than Chippewa.

There are very few “robots” in the city. In Zambia, a “robot” is a traffic light. I’ve only seen five or six so far. They use turnabouts and stop signs for what little traffic control there is. Traffic can get quite congested on the main roads at certain times of day. It reminds me of when the Northern Wisconsin State Fair comes to Chippewa. Clogged roads and lots of excitable people.

Another way that Lusaka has a small town feel is our lack of anonymity. Everyone seems to know what we’re doing. Every time we make a request or leave the compound, there are a whole bunch of phone calls made to ensure that we will be happy and safe. Then, when we get out into the community, people come up to us to tell us that they’ve heard about our project or they’ve seen us on television. No doubt, their ability to recognize us is enhanced by the size of our group and that we’re all Americans.

Last night, we went to a restaurant and a dance club for fun. I thought the crew needed to have some time to chill out and be silly together. The restaurant had karaoke. Jared, Heath and Edgar were the only ones brave enough to sing in front of the group. Watching Edgar perform Michael Jackson’s BILLIE JEAN in a wig, hat and shades was priceless. Then, we went to a Congolese dance club. Nearly everyone danced. At the end of the night, everyone was laughing. It was great for us.

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On Saturday, we spent the morning recording Zambian storytellers in the woods behind the National Arts Center. It was a very surreal morning. Impalas wander the grounds freely and motorists are advised that the animals have the right of way on the roads. We saw large birds that resembled ravens except that they had white chests. The flock looked as though it were going to a formal event in their best tuxedos.

Then, we met with several aspiring Zambian filmmakers. The students and I presented how to light a set, use a boom mic, use wireless mics, apply make-up and make a stronger story. Several students were very brave and pitched their film ideas to us. Then we demonstrated how to build and use a steadicam and budget dolly. We also demonstrated the glidecam. Afterwards, we all went to the ARCADES (a strip mall) to have pizza together and talk some more. We did a radio interview to offer advice to beginning filmmakers in Zambia. The question here is the same as it is in the U.S. How do you find the money??

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I’m always getting after the crew to blog more* and I realize that I haven’t blogged hardly at all. I’m actually due on the set in ten minutes so this won’t be long either. I wanted to take a quick minute to let everyone know that the MCC film crews are doing fantastic work in Zambia. We’ve now formed into a theatrical crew, a documentary crew and a logistics/special features crew. They are working with determination, fervor and creativity. They are capturing fantastic footages and superb performances. Our patron, Dr. Ng’oma has provided a wonderful base of operations for us at Kwazulu Kraal. We’re all becoming very Zambian. We are a community who gathers in the courtyard to talk, tell stories of the day and draw strength. It’s ironic that we’ve come to a land were the community is very important and have adopted that aspect of their culture. I must get to the set. I’ll try to blog more this weekend.

*See African Voice blog for entries from the crew.

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BY CYNDI GREENING, PRODUCER — When you think about how complicated it is to take 14 students and 4 faculty members to another continent to shoot a film, you might wonder why we made that choice. Here’s a short piece on why we think it’s important to shoot BAD T!MING and VOICE OF AN AFRICAN NATION in Zambia.

Film in Zambia (lg)

Film in Zambia (sm)

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BY CYNDI GREENING, PRODUCER — Sometimes, it’s amazing to realize how serendipitously this all came together. How did Jabbes come to Mesa Community College? Why did MCC sponsor such a project in Zambia? This piece might clear it up.

Jabbes at MCC (lg)

Jabbes at MCC (sm)

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BY CYNDI GREENING, PRODUCER — We leave for Zambia tomorrow. Principal photography begins on BAD T!MING on Monday, August 14. The following video will help you to understand what inspired these projects.

The Inspiration (lg)

The Inspiration (sm)

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After an amazing Friday at the Sundance Independent Producers Conference, I was hoping they could keep it as interesting on Saturday because I had noticed that the day began with Film Distribution. Distribution is the thing that I was MOST interested in and found most mystifying. With the two films that we’re making in Zambia (the feature AND documentary), I really wanted to know how the distribution thing worked.

I had already noticed that Marcus Hu and Mark Urman were on the panel. I knew these guys would be great because I’d heard them at Sundance before. I’d been tracking Marcus Hu for years because I loved the sort of films he released at STRAND.   (The Zambia films are a more difficult fit for him but I was anxious to hear what he had to say anyway.) The new folks on the panel (new to me) were Sony Classics Michael Barker, Fox Searchlight’s Matthew Greenfield, Picturehouse’s Bob Berney and Stratosphere’s Paul Cohen. Agents on the panel Cassian Elwes and Kevin Iwashina. Barbara Boyle was the only female.

Every person on the panel was freaking brilliant. Seriously, these are some of the brightest bulbs on the planet. Distributing a film is a complicated puzzle, a Gordian knot that cannot be easily severed. The people who dwell on the question of how to distribute a film (remember, we discovered earlier that EVERY film is different so there is no single answer) are bright, bright, bright people.

In a classical advertising model, AWARENESS is the cornerstone of marketing. If the client is unaware of your product, they cannot buy it. So, a theatrical release of your film is often the platform that creates the awareness of your film. This often leads to a more lucrative DVD and cable deal. In the “old days” (the last three to five years), selling to foreign markets was the traditional path to generating initial funding and a completion bond. According to the panel, the foreign markets are not as easy because they got too much mediocre product and they’ve become more sophisticated buyers.

In the Finance Panel, there was a lot of discussion about how to MODEL a film. Basically, it’s looking at the elements of the film (genre, talent, etc.) and determining what the VALUE is of that film. When the value is determined, the key is to budget the film BELOW the value of the MODEL. This difference creates the profit for your investors. The distributors are the folks who help you to generate that value with theatrical, foreign, DVD and ancillary sales. So, just like in the publishing world, finding a distributor who has marketed similar product in the past is a good starting point.

One of their key recommendations: Attend the American Film Market in LA or NY to find out what sells. (Or Cannes or Toronto.)

Later in the day, there was a dialog on LOW or NO-BUDGET FILMMAKING. Two of my favorites on the panel were Gary Winick and Ram Bergman. These are the gurus of low budget filmmaking. Bergman made BRICK for $400,000 and Winick’s Indigent makes all films for $200,000 or less. The crew gets $100 per day and profit participation.

According to Gary, “Movies about people that deal with emotions can always be made for $200,000 or less.” According to Ram, “You need to honestly assess the value of your movie in the market and make it for less!”

As usual, some of the most profound words of advice came from Mark Urman (THINKfilm). “In the end, it is irrelevant what it cost. My only concern is whether I respond to the material and what do I think it can make in the market. Most independent films lack the polish, visual diversity and visual sheen to be successful in the marketplace. The shots must be alive and we must respond to the characters.”

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The schedule at the Sundance Independent Producers Conference is intense! We’re booked from 8:00 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. We can hike down the canyon, catch a shuttle or take the rental car (guess what I chose) to start the day with a communal breakfast. Everyone is excited. There is a networking frenzy in the air. It’s early in the weekend so the industry professionals can move through the crowd with relative anonymity. We are wearing our “FilmZambia” t-shirts. It’s effective. We are noticed. It also doesn’t hurt that Jabbes is one of very few black faces in the room. We stand out.

The first panel is on documentary and feature Film Production. Our panel consists of Danielle Renfrew, Ron Yerxa, Ross Katz, Cathy Schulman, Cara Mertes, Sheila Nevins, Gary Winick, Diane Weyermann, Ram Bergman and Sunmin Park. One of the things I like best is that they do NOT take the time to introduce the panelists. Moderator Cara Mertes tells us that we’re professionals now. We were given a book of bios. Surely, we prepared by reading them, she says. No reason to duplicate the effort. Fortunately, I had a lot of time on Thursday and have thoroughly read it all. I am ready to hear what they have to say.

There is a lot of discussion about the changing market, changing platforms, changing audiences AND the fear that is moving through the industry because people are having a hard time finding something that works reliably. I find myself wishing I had taped the sessions because I want to take down nearly every word they say. The content is so rich. The icons of filmmaking say things that are incredibly profound. It seems to me that many members of the audience don’t really hear what they’re saying. For example, documentary producer Sheila Nevins says, “I trust people to say the true lines of their lives and that’s what makes documentary so powerful.” Ron Yerxa says that he loves contradiction in story and in life. What people say they’re about versus what they do is at the heart of a good story. Gary Winick of Indigent says, “It’s simply having something to say AND knowing how to say it well.” Sunmin Park talk of the “knot in her throat” caused by contemplating “honorable warriors.” Nearly all of them talk about the importance of having a good story. The panel inspires and challenges me.

In the short session afterwards, I have the chance to tell Barbara Boyle, Cathy Schulman and Ricky Strauss about the FilmZambia projects. I talk about the documentary and the feature. It turns out that Cathy Schulman is considering a project in Africa. I’m thinking her connection to Don Cheadle (after CRASH) may be continuing. Ricky and Cathy have sweet smiles and kind demeanors. Barbara is sharp as a tack and quite an education snob. I think she would look down her nose at Mesa Community College. They seem very excited about and interested in the project. Jabbes is sitting beside me so he talks about BAD T!MING (the feature). I’m happy.

In the afternoon, we have the Film Financing Panel. In this panel, I think I’ll find out all of the things I’ve done wrong in mounting this production. Again, I hear things that I think are incredibly deep and profound. I feel like I’m being given the keys. (I hope I have enough time to write about this before I go to Zambia.) Among the many things I learn, we are told that the BIGGEST CHALLENGE in filmmaking is that EVERY FILM IS UNIQUE. Financing and distribution are totally dependent on the story, the cast, the perceived audience and the P&A. The particpants in the IFP ask a variety of questions about how to find funding and they are told over and over again, “Depends on the film.” It’s absolutely liberating! There is no “right” answer. You just do what it takes to get it done. At different times, the panelists laugh derisively and tell us that they make lots of mistakes and, at the end of the day, do what it takes to make the things they love. Don’t get me wrong, they say financing is tough. Prices are high, profits are low. The talk about the financing for Maria Maggenti’s PUCCINI FOR BEGINNERS.

In the next breakout session, I again visit with Ricky Strauss. (I’m afraid he’ll think I’m stalking him.) Roseanne Korenberg and Micah Green are also in our mini-group. Ricky is still great … engaging and supportive. He talks about how he thanks God every day that he gets to do what he does. He clearly loves his work. I think Micah Green is a razor-sharp genius. He’s a packaging agent at CAA and he is clearly one smart cookie.

We have dinner and spend the evening at a documentary panel. It feels a bit familiar after the morning production panel. Maybe I’m just tired. It’s been a long day.

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We arrived at the Sundance Institute at 11:04 a.m. Registration began at 11:00 a.m., so I was fearful that one of the small group sessions that I wanted would already be filled. We went inside to find hardly anyone in the Creekside room. Apparently, the IPC is NOT like the Sundance Film Festival. You don’t have to arrive everywhere an hour early to ensure your place. I got all of the small groups I wanted. Cathy Schulman. Ricky Strauss and Micah Green. Marcus Hu, Kevin Iwashina and Mark Urman. It looked like it was going to be a very informative weekend.

It took about 15 minutes to register. It was 11:30 a.m. We were told we couldn’t check into our houses until about 2pm. The first gathering was scheduled for 5:00 p.m. We had a whole lot time on our hands. So, we sat on the picnic tables behind Creekside and read all of our many handouts. There was a bound book of participants and panelists. There was an enormous reference package and another small set of addresses and contacts. We enjoyed the strong wireless signal (although the firewall made it impossible to get my school email).

We watched all of the folks arriving. While I’m a relatively social creature, I don’t enjoy these forced networking experiences. I end up thinking about what I should be working on, what I might be able to blog about or what I should be doing for the film project. The one thing I know I don’t want to do is “crawl up some industry professional’s hinder” in the hopes of making a deal. It leaves me feeling too crappy for words. So, I dive into reading my materials and hope they talk with Jabbes or Alec. They tell us we can go to our accommodations and I am relieved to go elsewhere until dinner.

At five, the Sundance Screening Room (pictured above) is full of participants, panelists and film pundits. Geoffrey Gilmore tells us that we should spend the weekend talking to these incredible industry professionals. He tells us that some will be wonderful and some will be jerks. Welcome to the real world. “If you’re too afraid to walk up to someone and ask for a meeting, you don’t deserve to call yourself a producer,” he says. They turn us loose for dinner and and networking.

I meet a fellow that I will come to love over the course of the weekend. He turns out to be the nicest fellow! He was one of the people I really wanted to meet. He produced IN THE BEDROOM and LOST IN TRANSLATION. His first film (as a member of the crew) was RESERVOIR DOGS. We’re in the beverage line together and we introduce ourselves. I tell him that he was one of the people I was looking forward to meeting. He asks about our project. I tell him about the FilmZambia projects and he gets so enthusiastic and excited, he pulls Geoffrey Gilmore over to our group to tell him about it. He tells us a funny story about his mother at the screening of IN THE BEDROOM. I just love this guy. Ross Katz tells us to come to his screening of MARIE ANTOINETTE on Saturday. We tell him we wouldn’t miss it.

Then, there is a screening of BAGDAD, E.R. and a Work-In-Progress screening of HIROSHIMA/NAGASAKI. Both were produced by the Grande Dame of Documentary, Sheila Nevins of HBO. I’d heard her name many times before. Prior to the screening, I bumped into Sheila and her HBO cohort, Sara Bernstein. Alec and Jabbes had already spoken with them and told them about the Zambia projects. She said they sounded really interesting. If I’d had my wits about me, I might have asked her if HBO would be interested in the doc but it’s hard to be witty in the bathroom. Sheila favored cargo pants in shades of yellow, tan and khaki. She has this great mane of hair and easy laugh that is totally disarming. I was completely captivated by her.

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