When speaking of Studio Nouveauté, one might be so inclined to ask: “So, what projects do you have in the works?”, and that would be a valid question indeed. Given the fact that we are still very early in our infancy, we certainly have very little on tap at the moment; however, there is one project which is current in very early stages of pre-production. I have been working on the screenplay for a short film titled Discothèque, which (despite the the superficial inclinations of its title) serves as a commentary on imperialism and class warfare. I’m no communist by any means, but to say such issues don’t exist within our own backyard at this point in time would amount to an incredible state of denial on my part; in fact, I’m concerned about my own opportunities to rise above my humble beginnings.
In terms of style, there’s definitely a lot of it to be found here, as well as no shortage of sexual tension, and a degree of surrealism as well. As I will be producing and directing this film, I want it to serve as something of a showcase for all the qualities I bring to the table as a filmmaker. While much of the film takes place outside of an actual discothèque, there is indeed one prominently featured in the film during a music video-like montage which is heavily influenced by the legendary “In The Air Tonight” sequence from the Miami Vice pilot. All in all, I’m managing to cover quite a bit of ground in what most likely ends up being a 15-20 minute film, and possibly serves as something of a “demo” to raise funds for a feature length version.
I’m still debating how exactly I want to approach shooting this film. While I would love to shoot every scene on location, there simply may too many financial and geographical (I’m shooting this film in the Little Rock area) to get the exact types of locations I’m seeking, and the ambiance of the locations is absolutely vital to the artistic success of the finished product. Having said that, I’m seriously considering shooting the entire film on a makeshift sound stage, against a green screen, and fabricating all locations in post-production via After Effects. While this process would be incredibly tedious and time consuming, it would also not only be significantly cheaper than actually shooting on location, but it would allow me to create the exact locations which I visualize in my mind as I work of the screenplay. Given that I envision a vast and surreal metropolis (which definitely does not exist in Arkansas), I’m becoming more and more convinced to go this route. If nothing else, it will look entirely different from any other film shot in this area, and that’s always a great thing.
In any event, there will be a lot of work to be done to get this project out of my head, and in front of audiences. Still, it’s no doubt a positive thing that I’m actually pushing forward with a film I want to make, even one as modest as this…
Tags: after effects, arkansas, directing, discothèque, filmmaking, little rock, miami vice, producing, short film
