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Sneak Preview: "Made-Up"
By Lee Tistaert Published February 5, 2004
Though they still don?t have a distributor, they have managed to carry the film as a word of mouth picture via the festivals and special screenings such as this, with some theater owners having asked to book the film independently.
I signed up for a program that allows you to see films in advance, with a 45-minute session afterwards where at least one person involved in the movie enlightens everyone on various filmmaking aspects or whatever topics come up. It came to my attention while waiting for everything to start on the first night that this might actually make for a decent weekly column.
This theater probably seats 550 - 650 people, and the venue is generally used for plays but a screen is placed at the front (and for the first night, it was almost a full house). I was considerably younger than the average age in the room, as it was like going to a LA chamber orchestra concert, with most people in the room being about 50 - 65 years old, looking like total intellectuals?but that?s okay.
This sneak preview course is open to anyone who can afford it (it?s about double a normal ticket price per-night), and I wouldn?t be surprised if various industry folks attend. And considering the results of the first night, that could be very beneficial for any low-budget films still seeking distribution.
The film presented was Made-Up, which debuted exclusively in New York on January 23, and is opening at a few Los Angeles venues on Friday, February 6 (including the ArcLight in Hollywood). The movie is directed by Tony Shalhoub (who co-stars as well), known for the leading part in the television series, Monk, and for films like The Man Who Wasn?t There and Men in Black.
Made-Up is a low-budget drama/comedy about an aging woman named Elizabeth (played by Brooke Adams) who feels invisible in life and is starting to become insecure about her appearance. The movie chronicles the relationships between her, her daughter Sara (Eva Amurri), and Elizabeth?s aunt, Kate (played by Lynne Adams), as they partake in a documentary about Elizabeth's psyche and insecurities, which is shot by Kate, who is an aspiring director.
Shalhoub and co-producer Lynne Adams were there for the Q&A session after the film, both being quite enlightening on the Hollywood movie system, with Shalhoub especially being a very toned down but down to earth, cool guy. Asked about how Made-Up came about, Lynne noted that it was originally a play and she felt that its themes/topics were something that aging moviegoers could easily relate to in their own life.
Lynne was originally planning to co-direct the film with Shalhoub, but as she kept writing the screenplay, the part that she was writing for herself kept getting larger. As a result, she figured that wearing three major hats (acting, producing, directing) on the set would likely get too overwhelming, so she handed the full directing job to Shalhoub, who had gotten himself deeply enough (emotionally) into the story?s core points over time to carry out the duty.
The shooting for the film was done in three weeks, and the process was an incredible learning experience for both of them, but especially for Shalhoub who had never directed before. Some of the scenes were done with many actual family members and friends, and with Shalhoub having nine brothers/sisters in his family, that factor assisted in casting. The two also said that you live with your cast/crew every day which creates an amazing bonding/life experience, and that whether or not you win or lose in various circumstances, you go through the process as a team.
With no distributor to back up their production, Shalhoub and Lynne toured numerous film festivals (expecting a studio contract to spark at some point) where they received rave audience reactions and awards, but still, no studio would confront them about distribution. Originally they pitched the script to studios directly, but executives told them that they had no target audience and therefore, their film couldn?t be picked up by their foundation. One studio wanted an actress like Meg Ryan in the leading role to attract a definite audience, a proposal that did not play well with either of them (and the mention of Ryan created quite a stir in the auditorium).
At this point in the festival process, both Shalhoub and Lynne were quite frustrated and began to lose faith about the project. However, after a few more screenings in front of various crowds with audiences having been very supportive, the duo was inspired to try again and pump up their energy once more. Though they still don?t have a distributor, they have managed to carry the film as a word of mouth picture via the festivals and special screenings such as this, with some theater owners having asked to book the film independently.
Lynne and Shalhoub pointed out that it has been a very long journey to this point, and even by the time that the production began, the material had literally been breathing out of them naturally on the set. This reminded me of the behind-the-scenes reports on Swingers, with that crew having gone on a rollercoaster ride to seek distribution. The cast involved in that cult comedy had done an endless amount of rehearsals in front of potential investors, and by the time production kicked into gear, a script practically wasn?t even necessary.
In terms of casting, Lynne had lived in Shalhoub and Brooke Adams? guesthouse for nearly five years, with the trio having collaborated on the play, and then agreed to have Brooke lead the film. Shalhoub called up his friend, Gary Sinise, asking him to play a small supporting part as a favor, with Sinise having initially been hesitant about the role. However, Shalhoub and crew managed to take Sinise?s uncertain energy and translate it into his performance, creating a more amusing role.
Asked about how much improvisation was done on the set given the film?s realistic style, Lynne and Shalhoub noted that very little material onscreen was different from what was written on the page, but that there were a few instances where they did accept an idea that arose. Shalhoub believes that very few artists can maneuver improvisation effectively, and mentioned Christopher Guest?s mockumentaries and the television series, Whose Line Is It Anyway, as the only two sources he can name offhand that can handle such an approach adequately.
Asked about the budget, Shalhoub joked and asked if we had seen the latest Lord of the Rings movie, and said their budget was a little less than that but a little more than The Blair Witch Project. Both of them made it abundantly clear that they hated Blair Witch, but that its filmmaking motif was phenomenal, which encouraged the team to use a relevant documentary-like approach to establish a realistic environment.
Shalhoub?s ambition with Made-Up was to make the movie as more of a personal experience that avoided the clich?s and formulaic devices that you often see in these genre pieces. In his attack, he specifically mentioned romantic comedies in that in ten minutes, you usually know what will happen at every step of the way, causing you to grind your teeth at the predictable storytelling devices. Their goal was to create a film in which the audience would not be trying to jump ahead in the story, but rather, focus on the moment.
Shalhoub also wanted to have the film stray away from the sappy acting deliveries often times seen in television movies of this type, and wanted humor to play an integral part rather than pounding the audience with Oscar-caliber moments. Someone asked him if he has any interest in directing again, and he said yes, commenting that the collaboration is an incredible experience and that you?re always learning something new.
Many audience members expressed their enthusiasm to Lynne and Shalhoub, and the movie did receive a very good applause at the end (with Shalhoub and Lynne evidently being very grateful). I heard various ?That was wonderful? comments after the film, and while I don?t entirely agree, it is a fairly enjoyable movie and definitely better than I expected after its iffy introduction; by the end of the night, the characters and performances were still fresh in my mind.
As a side note, when the host of the program did a slight rundown of the films that would be eventually be shown, Starsky & Hutch was mentioned, which sparked gossip immediately once Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson?s names were read (with many people silently remarking, ?Starsky & Hutch???). Not that I would have any intention to prejudge or be prejudiced toward this crowd (sarcasm intended), but that evening will definitely be intriguing.
These sessions are held once a week, and next week (coincidentally enough) they are showing Meg Ryan?s movie, Against the Ropes (which also co-stars Shalhoub), and you can guess that I am just so pumped for that. The guest speaker for that will be the director/co-star, Charles S. Dutton, which will hopefully make for an interesting session after a potentially dull movie ? only time will tell.
Made-Up Official Site
This theater probably seats 550 - 650 people, and the venue is generally used for plays but a screen is placed at the front (and for the first night, it was almost a full house). I was considerably younger than the average age in the room, as it was like going to a LA chamber orchestra concert, with most people in the room being about 50 - 65 years old, looking like total intellectuals?but that?s okay.
This sneak preview course is open to anyone who can afford it (it?s about double a normal ticket price per-night), and I wouldn?t be surprised if various industry folks attend. And considering the results of the first night, that could be very beneficial for any low-budget films still seeking distribution.
The film presented was Made-Up, which debuted exclusively in New York on January 23, and is opening at a few Los Angeles venues on Friday, February 6 (including the ArcLight in Hollywood). The movie is directed by Tony Shalhoub (who co-stars as well), known for the leading part in the television series, Monk, and for films like The Man Who Wasn?t There and Men in Black.
Made-Up is a low-budget drama/comedy about an aging woman named Elizabeth (played by Brooke Adams) who feels invisible in life and is starting to become insecure about her appearance. The movie chronicles the relationships between her, her daughter Sara (Eva Amurri), and Elizabeth?s aunt, Kate (played by Lynne Adams), as they partake in a documentary about Elizabeth's psyche and insecurities, which is shot by Kate, who is an aspiring director.
Shalhoub and co-producer Lynne Adams were there for the Q&A session after the film, both being quite enlightening on the Hollywood movie system, with Shalhoub especially being a very toned down but down to earth, cool guy. Asked about how Made-Up came about, Lynne noted that it was originally a play and she felt that its themes/topics were something that aging moviegoers could easily relate to in their own life.
Lynne was originally planning to co-direct the film with Shalhoub, but as she kept writing the screenplay, the part that she was writing for herself kept getting larger. As a result, she figured that wearing three major hats (acting, producing, directing) on the set would likely get too overwhelming, so she handed the full directing job to Shalhoub, who had gotten himself deeply enough (emotionally) into the story?s core points over time to carry out the duty.
The shooting for the film was done in three weeks, and the process was an incredible learning experience for both of them, but especially for Shalhoub who had never directed before. Some of the scenes were done with many actual family members and friends, and with Shalhoub having nine brothers/sisters in his family, that factor assisted in casting. The two also said that you live with your cast/crew every day which creates an amazing bonding/life experience, and that whether or not you win or lose in various circumstances, you go through the process as a team.
With no distributor to back up their production, Shalhoub and Lynne toured numerous film festivals (expecting a studio contract to spark at some point) where they received rave audience reactions and awards, but still, no studio would confront them about distribution. Originally they pitched the script to studios directly, but executives told them that they had no target audience and therefore, their film couldn?t be picked up by their foundation. One studio wanted an actress like Meg Ryan in the leading role to attract a definite audience, a proposal that did not play well with either of them (and the mention of Ryan created quite a stir in the auditorium).
At this point in the festival process, both Shalhoub and Lynne were quite frustrated and began to lose faith about the project. However, after a few more screenings in front of various crowds with audiences having been very supportive, the duo was inspired to try again and pump up their energy once more. Though they still don?t have a distributor, they have managed to carry the film as a word of mouth picture via the festivals and special screenings such as this, with some theater owners having asked to book the film independently.
Lynne and Shalhoub pointed out that it has been a very long journey to this point, and even by the time that the production began, the material had literally been breathing out of them naturally on the set. This reminded me of the behind-the-scenes reports on Swingers, with that crew having gone on a rollercoaster ride to seek distribution. The cast involved in that cult comedy had done an endless amount of rehearsals in front of potential investors, and by the time production kicked into gear, a script practically wasn?t even necessary.
In terms of casting, Lynne had lived in Shalhoub and Brooke Adams? guesthouse for nearly five years, with the trio having collaborated on the play, and then agreed to have Brooke lead the film. Shalhoub called up his friend, Gary Sinise, asking him to play a small supporting part as a favor, with Sinise having initially been hesitant about the role. However, Shalhoub and crew managed to take Sinise?s uncertain energy and translate it into his performance, creating a more amusing role.
Asked about how much improvisation was done on the set given the film?s realistic style, Lynne and Shalhoub noted that very little material onscreen was different from what was written on the page, but that there were a few instances where they did accept an idea that arose. Shalhoub believes that very few artists can maneuver improvisation effectively, and mentioned Christopher Guest?s mockumentaries and the television series, Whose Line Is It Anyway, as the only two sources he can name offhand that can handle such an approach adequately.
Asked about the budget, Shalhoub joked and asked if we had seen the latest Lord of the Rings movie, and said their budget was a little less than that but a little more than The Blair Witch Project. Both of them made it abundantly clear that they hated Blair Witch, but that its filmmaking motif was phenomenal, which encouraged the team to use a relevant documentary-like approach to establish a realistic environment.
Shalhoub?s ambition with Made-Up was to make the movie as more of a personal experience that avoided the clich?s and formulaic devices that you often see in these genre pieces. In his attack, he specifically mentioned romantic comedies in that in ten minutes, you usually know what will happen at every step of the way, causing you to grind your teeth at the predictable storytelling devices. Their goal was to create a film in which the audience would not be trying to jump ahead in the story, but rather, focus on the moment.
Shalhoub also wanted to have the film stray away from the sappy acting deliveries often times seen in television movies of this type, and wanted humor to play an integral part rather than pounding the audience with Oscar-caliber moments. Someone asked him if he has any interest in directing again, and he said yes, commenting that the collaboration is an incredible experience and that you?re always learning something new.
Many audience members expressed their enthusiasm to Lynne and Shalhoub, and the movie did receive a very good applause at the end (with Shalhoub and Lynne evidently being very grateful). I heard various ?That was wonderful? comments after the film, and while I don?t entirely agree, it is a fairly enjoyable movie and definitely better than I expected after its iffy introduction; by the end of the night, the characters and performances were still fresh in my mind.
As a side note, when the host of the program did a slight rundown of the films that would be eventually be shown, Starsky & Hutch was mentioned, which sparked gossip immediately once Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson?s names were read (with many people silently remarking, ?Starsky & Hutch???). Not that I would have any intention to prejudge or be prejudiced toward this crowd (sarcasm intended), but that evening will definitely be intriguing.
These sessions are held once a week, and next week (coincidentally enough) they are showing Meg Ryan?s movie, Against the Ropes (which also co-stars Shalhoub), and you can guess that I am just so pumped for that. The guest speaker for that will be the director/co-star, Charles S. Dutton, which will hopefully make for an interesting session after a potentially dull movie ? only time will tell.
Made-Up Official Site
