Belief is a funny thing. It can be a powerful tool for change, or a personal driver to success. Yet, it can often times be mis-guided, even destructive, leading to both intentional, and unintentional wrongs. Like all things in this human aresenal of survival, it can be a double edge sword.

In the creation of art, belief can easily succumb to doubt, or cloud our objectivity. In contrast, it can also lead us in bold, new, and transformative directions. Suffice to say, belief is a required ingredient for follow through on any endeavor, creative or otherwise.

The rubber truly meets the road for us creatives though when it comes time to share our work.

As we move outside the comfort zone of our collaborators, peers, and supporters it is inevitable we will run up against criticism of our work. Some harsh, some ridiculous, some warranted, and some not. The best elixir for these criticisms is our belief, true (and objective) belief in the work we are putting out.

My film, PERSON OF INTEREST, marks the first time I have put my own work out into the world in a significant way. And, I have done so with a vervent belief in both the story I am telling, and the way it has been told. That said, I must admit this belief has been hard won. I, like I imagine many filmmakers, and artists, went through several bouts of self doubt, fear, and yes loathing over this project.

While these things are normal in any creative endeavor, I can see clearly now how in retrospect a lot of my anxiety was driven by the fact I had allowed myself to fall into the trap that cripples so many of us before we even make it to the starting line.

I’ve been involved in independent film production since the mid-1990′s and have watched (and experienced personally) as the initial instinct to tell stories and create art was corrupted, even damaged, by the overwhelming and obsessive notion of ‘making it’. The independent film became ’brand’ and suddenly ‘commercial viability’ entered the picture and with it a swift, decisive and hostile corporate takeover of the hearts and minds of artists and filmmakers.

In the early days of PERSON OF INTEREST, I succumbed to this obsession, and it was damaging. Both to my mental state, and more importantly the work.

Admittedly, we’re all dreamers. And, as with any art form, filmmaking is driven in part (well, probably in large part) by the need to be seen. But, now as I emerge on the other side of this endeavor I can see, perhaps for the first time, all that was lost as I have toiled in a system that compels one to compromise, relentlessly, in order to gain the approval of arbitrary gatekeepers, as opposed to simply having a spine, and believing in what it is you do. I am truly saddened by my own, and our shared willingness to forego our sanity, our ownership of the process, innovation in method and creativity, control over our own individual destiny…our own deeper dream(s) to run with inspiration, explore, imagine and frankly -make cool shit. These things, in essence, our creative values, subverted in order to attract a failed status quo that trades on hollow promises, and fear.

In making this film, I stumbled onto the most simple, and profound recognition thus far in my creative journey (as it were). It’s frankly idiotic it took me so long to conjure this one up, but I finally figured out that the best road forward (for me, for any of us) was to simply recognize, and accept my voice, and just go forth and do what I do…as well as I possibly could.

So, ultimately with PERSON OF INTEREST, I threw out the ‘rule book’, cast off the anxiety, and got to work. The end result is a film that steps outside (perhaps way outside) ’the way things are always done’, in narrative structure, style, and execution…and in that appears to be resonating with many, while of course being elusive to some.

Ultimately, I understand that it is not a film for everyone. But, I am confident it is a film for many.

It is a small film, with big ideas, that eludes to a lot, and (much like life) resolves little, offering a glimpse into one man’s journey without dictating how the viewer should feel at every moment within it. When I watch it I am reminded of this quote from Stanley Kubrick, “A film is – or should be – more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what’s behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later.”

Yes, this I believe.

Learn more about PERSON OF INTEREST, and the campaign to take the film on the road at Kickstarter.com.

“The ring of a bell: a metaphor for recognition.

This is what I kept hearing while watching PERSON OF INTEREST. The attack and decay of a bell kept resonating in my head as the story of the main character Terrance Dyer evolved. I kept recognizing situations, feelings and attitudes that reside in the deep paranoid pockets of the American psyche.

This is a visionary work; it is the TAXI DRIVER of this generation. It is a fulminating, subversive piece of cinema that throws a sharp elbow into the solar plexus of domestic propaganda and challenges the dogma of fear.

PERSON OF INTEREST will anger some as it will be misunderstood. The ignorant will hear rhetoric and see symbols (such as an inverted American flag) that they will take to mean disrespect, and for some “wing-nuts,” treason.

But an inverted American flag is a military symbol of distress. Terrance Dyer, a returning veteran with loads of emotional baggage feels that the country that he has fought for seems to have changed as he views it through the prism of his experiences.

Terrance Dyer sees things differently, and over and over again his character brings us to the edge of a dark abyss and then steps away as we catch our breath. Was Terrance a flawed individual who went to war? Or is he a scarred veteran trying to deal with the residual anger of war? Has he crossed the Rubicon?

This is the type of independent cinema I thoroughly enjoy. It is bold, politically agnostic, in your face and provocative. Excellent choices Greg! BRILLIANT! You hit many buttons that are left untouched in today’s indie film world.

Bravo.” – Pericles

After reading, and yes, reveling in these words for a bit, I couldn’t help but think of the long and difficult path the making of this film has been.

J. Reuben Appelman (the writer, and star of the film), and I began working on the script back in the summer of 2007, and the eventual 2008 production was plagued by the usual trappings of low budget independent cinema: no money, borrowed gear, limited time, and little crew. It was so extreme in those circumstances that there were days in which I would literally be the only crew, hand-holding the camera, boom, and tweaking lights all at the same time. I felt like a street performer wielding a strange cacophony of instruments, tied together, desperately trying to keep the beat in this band of one.

In the end though, all these difficulties proved nothing in comparison to road that lie before us as we entered post production.

After nearly a year of editing, J. and I were finally able to come to terms with the grave fact that our film, having been plauged by the above compromises (which included having to omit the shooting of a few scenes), and the actualities of a story’s evolution through the process of filmmaking, simply did not work. Editing, beyond all else, is a battle for tone. It’s akin to walking a tightrope, seeking that balance of consistent and sensical tone that is true to the story, and character of the piece. PERSON OF INTEREST in those early cuts, was like watching a sad battle in which neither side won. We had begun with a script that was in many ways defineable as a ‘psycholigical thriller’, but what we ended up shooting was not that, or at least not successful as that, and had a few missing pieces.

Prior to PERSON OF INTEREST I had edited a number of feature documentary films, and had become used to the idea, and practice of creating stories, and piecing together moments with available footage. In our shared despair of what looked to be the demise of the film we had spent nearly 2 years on, it was J. that first sparked the idea to throw out the script as written, a bold move for the writer, and to dive into the footage, as if it were a documentary of sorts, and allow it to guide the storytelling.

Many times, in these situations, the usual response is to shoot more footage, create new scenes, and indulge more in an effort to ‘make things work’. We didn’t have this luxury, or inclination, and decided to commit ourselves to the idea that there was indeed a film within all of this footage, and that if we listened to it, we could find it.

Working from this ideal, and a new framework based upon our only addition to the film, Terrance Dyer’s voice over monologue, we began the slow, surgical process of creating what is now a work that in so many ways better personifies the ideas we were trying to express going into the making of the film, than the script on which it was based.

The making of this film has indeed been a lesson in listening. Listening to my collaborator, my gut, and most importantly, the footage that we captured. It reminded me of why I do what I do. Why I am so attracted to cinema, and the art of visual storytelling. That though difficult, it can be a somewhat magical process to let yourself go to all these moving parts, and allow the story you are telling, its nuances, its subtext, to emerge gracefully, with the understanding that sometimes it’s not about what you have in mind, but about what you have in front of you.

PRODUCER OF

HIGHLY INNOVATIVE,

AGGRESSIVELY

CONTEMPORARY CINEMA.”

LovelyMachine, my little production shingle, is finally no longer ‘coming soon’. As of today the (very minimalist) site is live: http://www.thislovelymachine.com

Please check it out (if you care to). I will continue to write here, but will be sourcing my project info & updates through the new site.

As some of you know, I recently completed a successful funding campaign using Kickstarter.com to raise the initial capital needed to get my new film, Jens Pulver | Driven, an intimate documentary about legendary UFC Champion Jens Pulver, off the ground.

The end result of the campaign was $27,210 pledged, my goal was $25,000, via 410 contributors, in 20 short days.

Since the close of the campaign I have received a number queries as to how this was accomplished, especially since 72 hours out from my deadline, I was still $10,000 short of my goal.

In my blog featured at The Workbook Project & on NewBreed, I attempt to explain my guiding principles, and overall approach to the campaign. For more detailed information on tools used, etc. I also recommend reading the Kickstarter blog post on the project. In it they outline the ebb and flow of the funding, and I answer some specific questions in regard to the effort.

Enjoy! http://workbookproject.com/2010/03/new-breed-the-crowd/

Last week I returned from Columbus, Ohio where I witnessed what might be Jens Pulver’s last bout in the WEC. There, I spent nearly 5 days embeded with Jens and crew capturing their final preparations for Jens’s March 6th fight against Javier Vazquez. The experience produced some great footage, and gave me some incredible insights into the world of professional fighters that in the end will help shape this film.

Next Saturday I begin a 4 day interview shoot with Jens. The interview, which will provide the framework for the film, will take us through every aspect of Jens’s life, in his own words. We will discuss his childhood, the athletics that saved him, his journey into the world of MMA and rise in the UFC, including in depth narratives on some of his key fights, and finally his life post-fight, and the road ahead.

In preparation for the interview shoot, and our fast approaching post-production, I have been reviewing the footage I’ve captured over the previous 2 months, and have put together the first in a series of candid interview clips with Jens shot in the midst of him preparing for his March 6th bout.

This clip features Jens talking about how his losses have represented missed opportunities on his part to further his career, and how they have affected not only his mental state, but his ability to sustain himself and his family financially. He also talks frankly about mortality, and the coming transition for him, from fighter to mentor, and what he feels is the more important legacy to leave behind. I think this particular clip reveals Jens’s authenticity, his depth, and his deep connection to our universal struggle to simply carve out an existence, and a name for ourselves.

I will continue to share these clips as we move through the rest of our production on JENS PULVER | DRIVEN.

I’m very grateful for this, and excited for the opportunity to build, and engage with my audience while I am making this picture. I plan to talk more about this experience here in the coming weeks, so stay tuned. In the meantime, here is a great blog from Kickstater on the success of the project in which I answer several questions about how I ran the campaign.

Additionally, I have been invited to take part in The Conversation: Social Media, Digital Distribution & the Future of Film on March 27 in New York, to speak on a panel about new funding strategies for filmmakers. If you’re in the area I definitely recommend checking out the event, it looks to be shaping up incredibly well in both subjects covered, and the speaker roster.

Currently I have been shooting with Jens daily as we come up on this March 6 bout in Columbus, Ohio, and planning our March production in which I will be conducting a week long (incredibly in-depth) interview shoot with Jens to probe his remarkable life story up to now, his key fights, the world of mixed martial arts, and his future.

I’m very encouraged by the footage I’ve been getting, and must say it’s hard to express what I am learning about Jens, and from Jens, as I shoot this film without relying on some cliches. This guy is so completely authentic, and very much the definition of the ‘real deal’.

I believed it from day one, but it’s reinforced every day. My affinity for him and his plight just grows and grows. It’s so easy to see why he is loved, he’s everyman…a blue collar journeyman fighter, and gentleman hero who would literally give you the shirt off his back.

I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself folks, but I can feel it…this is going to be good!

The art of filmmaking is an incredibly strange beast, in that those who pursue it, to a large degree, decry the idea of it actually being art. Now, it can be successfully argued that the (perceived) high cost of entry into filmmaking justifies the more business minded approach of many modern filmmakers. As well, the fact that the film industry hasn’t exactly made its copious amounts of money on selling ‘art’ films, might also explain the advent of independents discussing ROI as opposed to Fellini.

Fine points indeed, but I would argue that as we stand at the dawn of this new decade, with more tools, and opportunity than ever before, it is time that we reclaim our art, by all means necessary.

Let’s be honest, it was most likely not box office numbers that first sparked our collective interest in making films. I didn’t look up the opening weekend returns for Down by Law, after being mesmerized by its utter coolness, nor did I check the box office for 8 1/2, Mean Streets, Blue Velvet, The Last Picture Show, Europa (aka Zentropa), Junior Bonner, The Limey, Pi, The Wild Bunch, The American Astronaut or any of the other films that inspired and informed me over the years. My film library isn’t organized by studio, or box office gross, is yours?

Sure, I get that films cost varying degrees of money, and yes, it should be recouped if at all possible, and yes, I absolutely want to see filmmakers, and artists (myself included) making a sustainable living from our own work, as it is key for continued work, and growth in that work. What I am saying is, maybe it’s time to stop chasing an ‘industry’ that isn’t interested. Maybe it’s time to embrace our meager beginnings, our vast inspirations from great cinema, and instead of trying to conform to a world increasingly dominated by spectacle, carve out a wholly new space for alternative cinema.

It may be a little too utopian an ideal, I get it, I do. But, the writing seems to be on the wall. There is no golden ticket, are there are no rules. We are at a point in history where we really do have the opportunity to be an integral part in shaping this new landscape of modern cinema, so what the hell are we waiting for? An invitation? Someone to tell us what to do? Isn’t that the problem in the first place?

Here’s my 1st draft at a personal little three-part plan to get this going:

1) Double down on your personal investment in your craft, with the knowledge that in the end, better films, more engaging stories and solid craft will pay more dividends, monetary and otherwise, than any market research ever will.

2) Forget the film industry, seek out inspiration from those truly re-shaping the way in which we work, share work, share information, interact and live our day to day lives. The folks at Google, Twitter, Facebook, Apple, YouTube, and the list goes on…and on, are the ones on the cutting edge, driving the future. Not Hollywood.

3) Create. A lot. And share it. With everyone you possibly can. And encourage them to share it, by making it awesome.

So, maybe we don’t have deep pockets, or a vast rolodex, to get started in creating this new cinema. And, maybe we have to endure a little more sacrifice, maybe we have to shoot on nights and weekends on borrowed gear, or maybe we do have a budget, but it’s only $50K, or $25K, or 10K, or perhaps only $1K, but with that we create something amazing, that doesn’t sell to Hollywood, but does sell to people. And from that we can build, and continue to build, and experiment, and grow. Maybe during the next little while, we’re sharing our work for free online, and selling some DVDs here and there, some downloads here and there, and screening it live here and there, gathering fans here and there, and doing new, better, and more exciting work along the way, as we all steadily build a body of work. Work, that over time, increases in value, and increases our value.

It’s not impossible to make great cinema for little, or to make a living from our art, we just need to start doing it, and stop waiting for something to just happen. Christopher Nolan made Following for six thousand dollars over 2 years, Jonathan Caouette made Tarnation in iMovie for $300 based on footage filmed over his life and it was absolutely incredible, Shane Carruth made one of my favorite films ever, Primer, for seven thousand dollars, while teaching himself every aspect of filmmaking along the way, my friend Lovisa Inserra made her completely unrelenting look at a 3-time loser on the expressway to self destruction, Buster, on hand processed Super 8, and no budget. All of these films and artists blew me away, and I know that there are more artists like them out there, so let’s get ourselves together and do this thing.

Let’s make this our decade, let’s resolve to create a new, and sustainable alternative cinema. Starting. Right. Now.

* Above production still from Buster, a film by Lovisa Inserra.

It’s no secret that our national discourse has taken a nose-dive with the sad side effect of reducing our friends and neighbors to caricatures, devolved of their humanity and categorized by bumper sticker headlines. But that is just the ever swirling circus of constant distraction that is America in the 21st century. The deeper and more complex war within is the ever compounding side effects of the circus…the growing culture of indifference, of anti intellectualism and the death of critical thinking.

I think this culture is best summed up by a quote from former President George W. Bush, when discussing the newly dubbed ‘war on terror’ in 2001 he stated, “You’re either with us or against us.” Words that were probably meant to be a show strength of coalition as we began to seek justice after the events of September 11th, had, I believe, an additional and longer lasting global effect. In that moment and in those words the world was given permission, or better, a directive, from the leader of the most powerful nation on earth that it was time divide. Choose your camp, choose your weapon and dig in. It frankly killed all discussion, all reason and did not allow for a moment of contemplation as to what factors brought us to this point in our nation’s history.

Thus, as the immediate, honest, completely understandable and most likely justifiable reaction to what happened on September 11th waned and the war raged on indefinitely it became more and more apparent that we no longer knew exactly what it was that we were fighting for. In essence, a once noble call to duty 8 years later devolved into a global version of Hatfields vs. McCoys.

So in the immediate aftermath of the absolutely devastating shootings at Ft. Hood it was not surprising that headline No. 1 was the fact that the soldier and perpetrator of this horrible crime, Nidal Hasan, was indeed a Muslim. It was the easiest short hand to frame what had happened. No need for discussion, contemplation or investigation.

Luckily this time around, the ensuing days have brought investigation, revealing the truth of our individual humanity. We are not simply “this” or “that”. We, all of us, are complex collections of our lineage, our cultures, our social circumstance, our economy, our religion (or lack thereof), our immediate surroundings and the list goes on. These things do not provide justification for our actions, especially those actions that bring immediate and lasting harm to many, but rather offer us insight to the real reasons, not the off the cuff distractions, as to why this happened.

When my collaborator, J. Reuben Appelman, and I began working on our film Person of Interest in 2007 it was born from this growing feeling that an almost overwhelming heaviness had descended upon our nation after 6 years of war. No matter how close or far your direct connection was to the conflict itself, you couldn’t help but feel something had fundamentally changed in the American psyche. As much as we tried to find solace in our old ideas of the world, to many veils had been lifted and combined with a constant onslaught of conflict (real and manufactured) it was startlingly apparent things were never going to be the same. All of this, I feel, in part came to a head in the broken men and women that were our returning soldiers.

Prior to shooting the film I had conducted some interviews with a very close childhood friend (and his family) who in 2005 had been stop lossed (as part of the National Gaurd) and deployed to Iraq. He, like many who share his story, was not just out of high school or college, but rather already in his 30′s; a husband, a father, involved in his community and generally living what we would describe as the American Dream. So, when he returned I became curious, as a person who has never (and most likely will never) see war close up, how exactly does one go from ‘normal’ life to a war zone and back again? It seemed completely implausible that you could do so without skipping a beat, and after several talks and interviews it became very clear that you don’t really come back at all, not in one piece and never fully as you were before.

With embarrassment, it was the first time I felt the full weight of the phrase “give your life for your country.” I learned from my dear friend whether or not you come back at all or in one piece doesn’t matter, when you go to war, whatever the circumstance of your return…you have given your life.

I know that there is an overwhelming ‘support for the troops’ in this country, which I don’t feel is disingenuous by a long shot. However, much like in our everyday lives, we are in large part suspect of mental illness in this country and especially when it strikes those we view as the strongest among us. The last several years have seen a steady stream of returning warriors thrust back into their lives and communities without support to great consequence. My friend was one of them. And he, like a vast majority of mentally wounded soldiers was unwilling (at first) to seek out help due to the stigma associated with being ‘less than’. A fear institutionalized by the Army itself and unfortunately upheld in our communities at large. A by-product of being a culture of indifference.

After the election last year, and arguable ‘end of an era’, J. and I half-joked that we had taken to long to finish the film and it would soon be irrelevant. In light of many recent events, good and bad, it appears we couldn’t have been more wrong.

The good news is that due to the efforts within the armed forces, by returning soldiers and soldier organizations like the The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and the Wounded Warrior Project, soldiers are being heard and policies, especially those dealing with treatment of post traumatic stress and mental health issues are being addressed and in some cases changed.

Sadly, at the same time, we’ve seen a disturbing uptick in vitriol, violence and attempted (for the moment) domestic terrorism plots in this country.

And then there is Ft. Hood and Nidal Hasan. Is it a simple story of ideology driving someone to violence or is it something much deeper? A truly American story of unchecked pressures of war in an age of ambiguity and us vs. them? I honestly cannot imagine the sense of betrayal, anger and overwhelming sadness his comrades and community at large must be feeling in this moment. I, like most I’m sure, hope justice is served, quickly. I also hope that this case serves as a point of true contemplation of where we could be headed if this war within is not addressed in a tangible way in our very immediate future.

The circus can only continue as long as ‘we the people’ are willing to buy the ticket.