ed. note: We've uploaded a lot of posts that have incorporated humor and joking as
we present our ideas and progress. It's been fun, but as the director
I'd like to take a moment to discuss in a little more serious tone the
overlying goals and mission statement we're focused on accomplishing.
* * *
Our Mission:
To uphold and participate in tradition while forging our own methods, develop interestingly unique characters who tell good stories, and to have fun doing it.
* * *
Our Mission:
To uphold and participate in tradition while forging our own methods, develop interestingly unique characters who tell good stories, and to have fun doing it.
* * *
We've been in the development stage for 3 scripts in a series entitled El Sendero
since about 2007, and in 2010 started the 4th. A Tale of Two Sillies
was among the original 3, and since it called for the smallest amount of
resources and easiest forces to bring to bear, I pushed to have it
developed first. We chose to shoot both the first and last film in the
series in B/W from the beginning, and originally we were going to go
with 16mm. Eventually that concept changed as money became available and
we decided on 35mm, and then anamorphic widescreen. The two middle
films are going to be in color, but again shot on film.
We have been diligently sourcing equipment that we have bought and can call our own. In this way, we can pick up any piece and experiment with it, test how best to use it, learn what doesn't work. We can decide to shoot any time we want and not have to deal with rental houses. We've been able to organize our tools to work within our concept of efficiency and speed, while staying in the constraints of a modest budget. I think it's amazing what we've accomplished so far, though there is yet still much to do.
Now, our philosophy if you will, is to break from convention, yet participate in tradition. While we honor tradition and love the work that has come from Hollywood, we also feel that the last 10-15 years has been quite stagnant. We are not the only ones to feel this way. Most movies these days palm off stock characters and thin plots with massive SFX budgets to get the theaters packed; and while that's good a couple of times a year maybe, everyone wants to cash in. Audiences have noticed, and the natives are restless.
We are among the restless, and this is the reason for our MO; it won't be easy street. Breaking with convention means to travel a road that will be bumpy. It means going against the grain, and it may feel a bit uncomfortable at first, especially for those steeped in the norm. It means being different, thinking differently: entertaining truly and honestly different thoughts, and not just giving the idea lip service. Chris' writing is so refreshingly different, and so vibrant... we have a hit with T2S, I just know it--not to mention the next films. But that will all come. We must stay true to ourselves, true to our mission statement, and not stray off course.
In seeking like-minded individuals who are willing to hitch their wagons to our train, we have developed a screening process that asks for something a little different. Most people point and click on the internet, never caring to actually read the fine print, never sifting to find the important stuff. This is OK , but it is not for ETE. We need conscious, breathing and thinking individuals, ready to invest themselves in the ~120 pages we hand them as though they were the keys to our classic Corvette. Unlike watchful parents lending out their car, we want you to rip the tires loose, tear our script apart and put it back together again after we give it to you. We want you to become your character... these are your chops as a thespian and central to your professionalism. Can you bring what we have in B/W ink on the page, and ask of you during rehearsals to life for the big screen? We are looking for people who have the desire to make this happen.
In return, we will do our best to take the performance you give and put it together into a movie that will likely launch all of our careers. That is our professionalism at ETE, and the end goal we will do our best to bring about. It can be done, and done once, we then have 3 more waiting for immediate repeat of the process.
We have been diligently sourcing equipment that we have bought and can call our own. In this way, we can pick up any piece and experiment with it, test how best to use it, learn what doesn't work. We can decide to shoot any time we want and not have to deal with rental houses. We've been able to organize our tools to work within our concept of efficiency and speed, while staying in the constraints of a modest budget. I think it's amazing what we've accomplished so far, though there is yet still much to do.
Now, our philosophy if you will, is to break from convention, yet participate in tradition. While we honor tradition and love the work that has come from Hollywood, we also feel that the last 10-15 years has been quite stagnant. We are not the only ones to feel this way. Most movies these days palm off stock characters and thin plots with massive SFX budgets to get the theaters packed; and while that's good a couple of times a year maybe, everyone wants to cash in. Audiences have noticed, and the natives are restless.
We are among the restless, and this is the reason for our MO; it won't be easy street. Breaking with convention means to travel a road that will be bumpy. It means going against the grain, and it may feel a bit uncomfortable at first, especially for those steeped in the norm. It means being different, thinking differently: entertaining truly and honestly different thoughts, and not just giving the idea lip service. Chris' writing is so refreshingly different, and so vibrant... we have a hit with T2S, I just know it--not to mention the next films. But that will all come. We must stay true to ourselves, true to our mission statement, and not stray off course.
In seeking like-minded individuals who are willing to hitch their wagons to our train, we have developed a screening process that asks for something a little different. Most people point and click on the internet, never caring to actually read the fine print, never sifting to find the important stuff. This is OK , but it is not for ETE. We need conscious, breathing and thinking individuals, ready to invest themselves in the ~120 pages we hand them as though they were the keys to our classic Corvette. Unlike watchful parents lending out their car, we want you to rip the tires loose, tear our script apart and put it back together again after we give it to you. We want you to become your character... these are your chops as a thespian and central to your professionalism. Can you bring what we have in B/W ink on the page, and ask of you during rehearsals to life for the big screen? We are looking for people who have the desire to make this happen.
In return, we will do our best to take the performance you give and put it together into a movie that will likely launch all of our careers. That is our professionalism at ETE, and the end goal we will do our best to bring about. It can be done, and done once, we then have 3 more waiting for immediate repeat of the process.
Thank you,
Brandon Esten
Procuder/Director
Scott Bullock
Assoc. Prod.
Jan Esten
Production Managment
ed. note:
I also wanted to add that this is a family affair. Family is very important to us at ETE, and you can expect to see moms and dads, nephews and uncles running all over the place... go family!
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