Sunday, May 03, 2015

Lazy Sunday #374: Roar

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Those who follow this blog know that I’m not a fan of our government funded film industry, believing it has done more to hamstring than help Canadian Creatives.

Over the last few months, the passing of two close friends has strengthened that belief. One, a screenwriter, left behind unproduced scripts superior to the vast majority of films this country has produced in the last few decades. Unproduced simply because their setting or content didn’t mesh with the mandates of Telefilm or the CMF.

The other was a lovely and talented actress, forced from this country (as so many are) by a lack of opportunity and a dearth of producers capable of recognizing and exploiting real star quality.

And while no production system is perfect, it should be clear from Canada’s track record, especially when compared with countries of similar or smaller populations, that the one we use doesn’t work.

Put simply, if you want to do something worthwhile in this country, it might be better to forget about filling out government forms and just do it yourself.

Not long ago, I suggested here that you couldn’t go far wrong supporting a crowd-funding campaign started by Vancouver filmmakers Stuart Langfield and Dylan Rekert.

Apparently, some of you saw what I saw in these guys. Because less than 24 hours after that post went up they had secured their funding.

Langfield is an animator by trade and Rekert a graphic designer. Jobs both describe as fall back positions that supported earlier attempts at becoming filmmakers.

Last year, they decided to write a script without considering what was possible, ignoring budget, technical restrictions, etc. and just set out to write what they wanted.

Fuelled by what they felt was a lack of subtlety in current genres, they set out to find that sweet spot where Sci-Fi connects on a personal level and resonates emotionally. 5 or 6 drafts later, they had a finished script that Kickstarter transformed into a reality.

“ROAR” was shot over three days last summer with all the effects accomplished in camera.

The film was submitted to Vimeo where it became an immediate Staff Pick –- a high honor when you consider the thousands of hours submitted to that streaming site on a weekly basis.

And now Langfield and Rekert have set to work to expand on the world they have created and see where they can take it.

Without government bureaucrats and minions overseeing them (my opinion alone –- don’t take it out on these guys, Telefilm), I think they’re in for a rewarding ride. And I’m sure you’ll agree once you take a few minutes to see their work.

Enjoy Your Sunday.

ROAR from Stuart Langfield on Vimeo.

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