After my post a few days ago about the future of 50 Kisses, and after much consultation, deliberation and thinking, we have some announcements to make.
Many of you contributed to the blog post – and we were blown away by the passion, commitment to excellence and amazing ideas. We have already taken many of these and actioned them. So thank YOU!
Also, your overwhelming support has been for ‘Door Number 2’.
So here is our plan.
- We will make a movie that is around 100 minutes, hopefully shorter.
- We will feature in full, around 25 to 30 of the films.
- Of those 25 to 30 films will most will need to be trimmed as we feel they are still a little long.
- We may intercut some films (one that are suited) so that we can jump between scenes to create a more cohesive viewing experience.
- We will re-grade and re sound mix most of these films in a professional environment.
- We may even re-score some with composers, but that will be an initiative that is done in consultation with the filmmakers.
- Dates and deadlines will be announced soon so you can make plans for premieres and awards.
Now the other films.
- We intend to open and close the film with sequences that put 50 Kisses into context, to frame the movie as it were.
- The first section will be the ‘mashup’ with maybe a voiceover or actor explaining the process and showing clips from every film submitted.
- The end section will be a sexed up animated titles sequence where everyone gets a credit.
- To be clear, when we say ‘mashup’, we don’t mean this in some crazy Lady GaGa v Nirvana on YouTube sort of way, we mean an edit that features the best work for each film and contextualises the project, the scale, the process and the writers and filmmakers.
Essentially we will end up with a film that in the first few minutes sets the scene for the 50 Kisses project, then plays the very best of the submitted films (with audio and picture
sweetened), and ending in a celebration of the filmmakers and everyone involved.
To be clear, our ambition is that this movie will be world class and gain tons of media coverage - we and the whole world to know about the film, the writers and the
filmmakers.
We are all very close to 50 Kisses and I think we can’t quite see just how special this project has become. I believe we have something really extraordinary here, something much more resonant and
fascinating than I think we realise just yet.
It’s time to stop seeing 50 Kisses as a series of separate parts and see it is a two hour single experience.
And I need for you to trust us.
There is a huge amount of talent and experience in our 50 Kisses editorial team, - with Simon Reglar (who comes of the finale of Merlin as editor – screened on Xmas eve) heading up a team of four
experienced editors and assistants. You can be sure that we will make the very best of the material we have.
Most importantly, we have not yet begun the actual work, we have just strong ideas in which direction to go. Once we start cutting films together, playing with structure, finding contrast, I am
sure we will discover loads more about the process and the film.
And we are also going to keep coming back to you for help and support too. With literally hundreds, if not thousands of people with an interest in the success of 50 Kisses, we have a small army.
It will take that whole army to mobilise and take action if we are to succeed in getting 50 Kisses as far and wide as we all hope. We are not asking you to do a lot, just a little here and there
– as the Chinese proverb says, many hands make light work.
Right… much work is afoot!
Chris Jones
www.50KissesFilm.com
PS - Have you written a blog about 50 Kisses yet? Or could you write another about your editing experience, what you learned? Please do and send to chris@londonSWF.com with a
picture.
Nigel Karikari (Monday, 10 December 2012 12:44)
With such an ambitious project most of these choices seemed inevitable to many. I'm sure most of us haven't envied the 50 kisses team shouldering the responsibility of navigating such a potential minefield! I'm really excited about the solutions - the intercut, the mashup, animated credits. More mustard on the hotdog! More unknowns, more reveals to look forward to! Yay!!! (that's not an ironic yay by the way)
Mark P (Monday, 10 December 2012 12:52)
Well done Chris and the team! GO for it!
Mark Morris (Monday, 10 December 2012)
Chris However things go, I want to thank you and your team for your generosity enthusiasm and commitment to the people involved in this project.
Tracey Flynn (Monday, 10 December 2012 13:15)
Good plan. Sounds amazing. I trust you to work your magic! Your army will wait in the wings for further instructions....
Nathan Gower (Monday, 10 December 2012 13:19)
Very exciting, and I can't wait to see the magic you create in the final project.
ATW (Monday, 10 December 2012 13:21)
Well lets saddle up and ride this bitch over the finish line then YeeeHaw.
Anil Rao (Monday, 10 December 2012 13:42)
When you go from what's my problem to what's my possibilty, you have now understood the problem, applied what is winnable and engaged the future of what is now possible from it.
So up, up and away and sounds like a great plan!
Best A.
:-)
Kingsley (Monday, 10 December 2012 14:05)
Yes! This sounds like a great way forward. Good decision!
Kevin (Monday, 10 December 2012 14:36)
When will you be announcing the 25 or so films that have made the cut?
50kisses (Monday, 10 December 2012 14:40)
Hi Kevin, we will be in touch as soon as we can announce. We are still figuring out which will make it.
Darren Garcia - evo film (Monday, 10 December 2012 16:45)
Sounds Exciting!
Really looking forward to it, I love the fact that its evolving and shaping all the time. Each step sounds more epic.
So glad we chose to get involved.
Shaun Bond (Monday, 10 December 2012 18:27)
Glad to see the 50Kisses team opted for the 'Door Number 2' option, although I still can't say I like the idea of a mash-up no matter how jazzed up it would look. I entered this as a competition where I would either win or lose, but for anyone whose film gets included in the mash up it is a bit of a cop-out or a middle ground. Almost like a condescending pat on the back. This is only how I see it, my opinion, but judging from a lot of comments on the blog last week I'm not alone with this thought.
Devon (Monday, 10 December 2012 21:49)
What happens if two of the best films are from the same script? Will both be included in the 25?
E M (Monday, 10 December 2012 22:24)
Devon, think the 25 will be different movies but think the length of each will factor in the ones chosen vs which ones are actually the best IMO
50kisses (Tuesday, 11 December 2012 00:08)
Just a reminder that anonymous comments will be removed.
Richard Green - Ugly Films (Tuesday, 11 December 2012 00:45)
Tino pai! (Excellent) Thank you for being decisive - it sounds like you are on the right track. Agree with Shaun - still uncomfortable with the mash up - would rather be left out than included personally. That should be an option. No matter what, this will be a great film - some of these shorts are fabulous and entertaining - go well. We will certainly be contacting the festivals here to try to get the film included next year....
Jen Farrow (Tuesday, 11 December 2012 07:35)
Good job Chris. I cannot wait to see the film when it is finished. It seems to be shaping up quite nicely.
I understand that you would like to credit all filmmakers who made a film, however my concern is that a “mash up” would compromise the mood and style that you are creating with the film.
I know that many filmmakers made a film, however it is impossible to accommodate them all. At the end of the day it is about story (or stories). I hope that you have this in mind during the edit. It is your prerogative to be brutal when it comes to the final cut. In the edit process it is all about what works and what doesn’t. I hope that this works for you, but I would not worry about cutting the sequences if it does not. Also, a voice over can become rather repetitive as it is "telling" rather than showing.
I also hope the artistic integrity of the films will be kept. I would rather not have our film included in a mash up, if it meant that the story and intentions of the film could not be portrayed in full.
We started out with a 2 minute film, but when it got to story boarding, and then shooting we realized that to give the story justice we needed to go over the 2 minute guideline. Our first cut was almost 5 minutes! We then refined our cut as much as possible without compromising on the story. The edit is a battlefield, but in the end of the day, we all just want to make a great film.
50kisses (Tuesday, 11 December 2012 10:19)
Hi Shaun and Jen - I mentioned in the blog above, we are all very close to the film and still thinking as our films as islands in a bigger sea, and not as a whole piece.
I am certain audiences will be fascinated by the process of 50 Kisses, the inclusion, the global reach, the skill levels etc much more than a bunch of short films stitched together.
We are making a film for an audience - try it, pitch the concept of 50 Kisses to some people who are not in the industry and see how they react - I have done this and from my experience, the idea of watching 25 short films all themed around a kiss is less interesting than one that explains who we did it too.
This is not a pat on the back, this is a way to acknowledge the process and make something that most people would yawn about (a film made of shorts) into something others will find fascinating.
We need a hook, something that will get in the press - and the story of how we made the film is the hook, and to me at least, to not include that 'in the film' is throwing the baby out with the bath water.
CJ
Andy Robinson (Tuesday, 11 December 2012 14:06)
If I thought my film was was going to be part of a "hook" to entice people, then perhaps I would have approached its making in a different way. I'm sure I am thinking of my film as an "island in a bigger sea", but I certainly wasn't thinking of it as a broken-off rock on the beach. When talking about the film I worked on it will, by definition, sound very selfish and inward-looking, but I am actually thinking about all the people that made my film possible, the actors (especially), and the crew - all of whom thought they were contributing to a complete story, but now (at best) will experience around 20 seconds of what they worked on. The film I chose to make was 'Neil', and I am pretty certain which version of that story has been chosen. Contractually, we have all agreed to allow our films to be edited as you see best, so this is a process that I have to see through, and I hope for my actors sake, that some of their wonderful performance still filters through, and is seen by someone who may make their efforts worthwhile.
For myself, I have to agree with Shaun & Jen, and say that a 'mash up', while making the overall film more visually interesting, and dynamic, comes at a cost - which is borne by the filmmakers whose stories were cut down. I'm not advocating door 1 - I think you should just include what you feel are the best films in their entirety, and find (or commission) some other way of making the 'connective tissue' that makes these very individual films work as a whole.
I know this train has already left the station, so this is nothing more than someone giving their opinion on the situation, and not expecting the situation to change. Perhaps that is the biggest single lesson all the filmmakers involved will learn about the industry they are trying to break into.
Evan (Tuesday, 11 December 2012 15:32)
I don't know what the mash up will look like but to me it seems almost like a mini-documentary on the making of 50 Kisses. If you consider that segment as a stand-alone promotional piece I wouldn't have a problem with segments of my shorts being used. I would be glad to help promote the project.
Andrew Turvil (Tuesday, 11 December 2012 18:31)
It is true to say the rules have changed somewhat along the way, but I always got the impression it was a suck-it-and-see situation. It might be a different matter if we'd paid to enter. As it was, the organisers had no idea what was going to happen, whether the scripts would be up to snuff, if all of them would be filmed, or to what level of quality. It's an experiment.
I always felt the biggest potential problem with the process would be the final film itself - 50 shorts in a row, really? That's enough to send anyone to sleep. The new direction creates a genuine chance of producing a watchable film. So it turns out the process is the story, who knew? Baaa
50kisses (Tuesday, 11 December 2012 20:41)
Please note, if you want to post, please leave your name, not just a first name. Unconstructive comments will be removed. If you do want to contribute, we invite you to do so, but please make it constructive.
Jen Farrow (Wednesday, 12 December 2012 02:11)
Hello Chris,
I do not envy the massive task you have, dealing with distributors, as well as Writers, Directors and Producers. I just think that you should keep your options open for the future.
In reference to your earlier comment, I understand what you are trying to achieve, however, it would be wise to address the possibility the sequences might not work in the final film. I believe that you have the opportunity to make these “bunch of short films stitched together” into something worth paying $20 at the cinema for.
In regards to the Audience; most people go to the cinema to be entertained. If the sequence was kept short and sweet, under three minutes, and possibly narrated by a Liam Neeson or Morgan Freeman then it would work well. I am just not sure how many people would be interested in the process as a whole.
To be absolutely honest, and this is just my opinion, however, from the few films I have seen, some of them are sub-par in terms of production values, sound design, and even performance. I just hope that including all films, even just one shot/ sequence from each film, does not compromise the professionalism of the feature.
I apologise for commenting at this early stage in Post Production, and I wish you the best of luck, and I hope that it works out in your favour.
Regards,
Jen Farrow
Judson Vaughan team Dragon Egg (Wednesday, 12 December 2012 06:57)
The whole process has been an open forum, an experiment, where the process has evolved as we've all gone along. It's interesting, challenging, thought provoking and pushing the boundaries. It's been transparent from the beginning.. albeit, things have been arrived through trial and error. We're all part of something rather unique. It's exciting and some of us will inevitably be disapointed at some stages, as is the very nature of anything with a competitive edge. Even if we don't get chosen to feature in the 25 or 30 or so films.. we're still part of the working process rather than just..'not winning' or 'being selected'.. we will still feature/introduce. In any other festival.. a film is not selected if deemed not suitable.. for whatever reason that may be.. with no reason given. Only the films that are perceived to be right for the festival, and or justifiably of a certain standard are. There is nothing at work here of an unsavoury nature. It's all very honest and clear. Yet whatever happens, respect will still be acknowledged to the film makers, everything is to be considered in the edit of the whole competition/festival. I am intrigued by what the eventual outcome will be and how our efforts manifest themselves, in the very dynamic of shaping the 50Kisses project. I think it's a good idea to consider it work in progress. We are contributing something special.. either way. It will be interesting to see wether the 50 Kisses team do eventually decide to use some films that are of the same script (that are of the standard they are looking for) to be shown as part of the chosen one's so that our audience.. can actually see versions or multiple interpretations of a script.. (this involves the audience more and will fascinate and give it a whole new level) this is after all what has happened and become part of the very essence of the 50 Kisses project. Film makers from all around.. making films from script winners, from the first phase of a competition and then shooting them their way, their interpretation, putting their stamp on it. Different teams making the same scripts and bringing them to life with their own unique spin on it. Those that are in the final chosen pieces, would represent the whole ingenuity and nature of 50Kisses in terms of what it potentially had done and how it shaped the project. Those that haven't quite made the grade and I'm sure in some cases it's going to be hard choosing, will still be acknowledged! Only those that are good enough should feature and rightly so, wether some repeats on scripts or not.. because that has been a significant development and makes this project truly original, unequivocally special. Celebrate it.
Sue Whitting (Wednesday, 12 December 2012 10:53)
Looking good. Very impressed with vision and enthusiasm and the excitement is rubbing off! Had a screening here for cast and crew last Friday and brought them up to date with progress. Very well received and behind the project!
Devon Avery (Tuesday, 18 December 2012 00:07)
Are you guys any closer to letting everyone know whose films are going to be included and in what context? I'm just thinking about whether I need to book a flight to London, and with less than two months to go, I'm guessing it is a concern for many of the other filmmakers living away from the UK also.
50kisses (Tuesday, 18 December 2012 15:52)
Hi Devon, we hope to make an announcement later this week.