Hey everyone,
Been exciting couple of weeks since last time I blogged. We're still working tirelessly to bring this horrific vision to the big screen and sleep is starting to get scarce in my world.
Rehearsals have been amazing. We spent a full day blocking out one of the major gore scenes two weekends ago and man, it's going to be sick. One of the reasons I love rehearsals is the evolution that occurs. When you're blocking material, it changes in a big bad way and becomes more that even the filmmaker imagined. And that's the "...double truth,Ruth".
We also tested some bad ass effects work with Kelsey, Kyle, Chris and Lacy this weekend. It was a lot of fun and really excellent work. Gave us all a lot to build from in our respective areas. Kelsey is very talented and I think her design is evolving in such an excellent and real direction. We've all spoken at length about the one fundamental rule of this project. Realism. Dark, raw realism. When people ask me about the film I always tell them we're more Maniac and Combat Shock/American Nightmares than all of those crap horror movies produced in the past twenty years. That's the shared vision we all have. Those who really love this film get that and believe in that.
We've also launched some social networking through Facebook and we're already boasting 160 fans. It's pretty cool to see the word is starting to spread. It gives me hope independent film might not be the dead end everyone says it is. I tend to think that the film will find an audience because the audience will seek out this film. My job is to deliver it and give it as much as I can to get it out there. Even if I don't have a big studio backing me. American grit is all I've got. With a little luck thats really all I need.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Drawing Inspiration
For years I've been a horror fan. Dystopian films such as Brazil have always had a profound influence on my writing.
With Nicotine Stains I've found myself returning to the roots of modern horror and have bagan to revisit the late 1970's and early 1980's horror scene. Combat Shock (akak American nightmares) and Maniac among others have been speaking to me more and more. Their gritty, realistic tone drives through the destitute horror of sometimes ludicrous (by today's standards) effects. Films like this are what made me love horror in the first place. After the mid 1980's horror began to get away from realism and go into a cartoonish area. For Nicotine Stains one need only watch Matt Fowler rehearse to see we're going back to that style.
With Nicotine Stains I've found myself returning to the roots of modern horror and have bagan to revisit the late 1970's and early 1980's horror scene. Combat Shock (akak American nightmares) and Maniac among others have been speaking to me more and more. Their gritty, realistic tone drives through the destitute horror of sometimes ludicrous (by today's standards) effects. Films like this are what made me love horror in the first place. After the mid 1980's horror began to get away from realism and go into a cartoonish area. For Nicotine Stains one need only watch Matt Fowler rehearse to see we're going back to that style.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Moving Fast
Since I'm a bit of insomniac these days I thought I'd do another quick blog post. Think of this as a "meanwhile..." to the back story I've been posting so far.
It's a little after midnight and tomorrow is the Nicotine Stains garage sale. We're doing one to raise that contingency money for if and more than likely when we go over budget. It happens, especially when you're on a low budget film. Bulbs blow, cars breakdown and gas prices go up. It's the nature of the beast.
We've got to be up at 6 (yep less than 6 hours from now) and be set up and ready to sell by 7:30. It's gonna be a long day. I just hope the good people of Orange County spend and help us out. We'll see.
Scheduling is done and the table read is next week. After that we're in rehearsals every weekend till the shoot. I'm pretty excited that the work is finally here. I love shooting films and it's been too long to wait for this one. After next weekend I won't have any down time till almost October. Even then, we'll be in post production so who knows when I'll see a free day!
Bye for now kids.
Gerry Desposito
It's a little after midnight and tomorrow is the Nicotine Stains garage sale. We're doing one to raise that contingency money for if and more than likely when we go over budget. It happens, especially when you're on a low budget film. Bulbs blow, cars breakdown and gas prices go up. It's the nature of the beast.
We've got to be up at 6 (yep less than 6 hours from now) and be set up and ready to sell by 7:30. It's gonna be a long day. I just hope the good people of Orange County spend and help us out. We'll see.
Scheduling is done and the table read is next week. After that we're in rehearsals every weekend till the shoot. I'm pretty excited that the work is finally here. I love shooting films and it's been too long to wait for this one. After next weekend I won't have any down time till almost October. Even then, we'll be in post production so who knows when I'll see a free day!
Bye for now kids.
Gerry Desposito
Thursday, April 8, 2010
The Origin of Nicotine Stains
Nicotine Stains came to me during my days at Ramapo College. I was going through a very rough period of time and things seemed to just kept getting worse. I started to have chest pains and wound up seeing my family doctor. There is a history of heart disease in my family so naturally I was scared shitless.
Luckily, the problems then were only stress induced panic and were somewhat easily rectified. During that appointment my doctor at the time suggested I try a stop smoking pill since the gum and patches had done very little for me. This turned out to be a mistake.
The medication I’d been prescribed had some very nasty side effects that altered the way I thought and my mood. I was in a dark place and things happening in my life at the time didn’t help. I was only on the medication for a month luckily before deciding to discontinue it’s use. During that month, however, I suffered severe depression, racing thoughts, insomnia and even had a suicidal thought or two.
This period of time, between the panic issues, the pills and then subsequent non-medicated attempts to quit really struck me and has stuck with me all these years. It was then that I came up with the original concept for Nicotine Stains.
Another incident that happened to me was during an attempt to quit cold turkey. I found myself, after three days of quiting, in a zombie like trance walking the half mile from my house to the local 24 hour grocery store at 4 in the morning. The whole time I tried talking myself out of buying cigarettes but to no avail. Addiction won out. I remember the sweet relief of that cigarette but the feeling of defeat that followed. The driving force of nicotine addiction is like a prison and it’s a main factor in Charlie’s life in Nicotine Stains.
In between then and now I produced a funding trailer for Beer Pong: The Musical and worked on some short projects, industrials and commercials, never forgetting this little story about a guy who tries to quit smoking but the withdrawal symptoms causes a mental break down.
Last year, I had just moved to Orange County, California and was living with my Aunt. My grandfather was very ill and I was home alone with no one but my now fiancé Kimmy by side for a week. Things we’re looking very bleak and I was having some panic again (the first time in more than a year). It brought back memories of that bad time in college and brought Nicotine Stains back into my mind. That day I sat and wrote out the three page outline of the script on a yellow note pad and knew that the script was ready to be born.
I often think about the energy that helped me unblock and write the outline. I hadn’t been able to write in months and there was something different this time. I really believe my grandpa sent me some of his energy from his hospital bed, 3000 miles away in New York to help me the way he had always done so. The next night, after I was able to speak to him (though he could not speak back because he was unconscious) over a cell phone, he soon passed away.
After he died I was devastated. He had been more like a parent to me then a Grandparent and his loss was almost immobilizing. At the same time, his memory of who he was and everything he had helped me through, the pure strength of our relationship, inspired me in a way that I could never imagine. I started the screenplay two weeks after losing him and eight weeks later the first draft of Nicotine Stains was completed. I know he had been watching over and helping guide me as I wrote. Not being religious it was an incredible experience to feel his presence in my thoughts and work. It’s why this film, once complete, will be dedicated to his memory.
With a lot of polishing and help from Kimmy and my best friend/business partner Christopher Ehling I was able to bring the script to a final draft and begin the long process of pre-production. I knew then it would be a long road but it’s a story that needs to be told and a film I believe in. Things immediately started to come together to make the film…but that’s for another blog post.
Stay tuned for my next installment of Inside The Pack.
Gennaro Desposito
Luckily, the problems then were only stress induced panic and were somewhat easily rectified. During that appointment my doctor at the time suggested I try a stop smoking pill since the gum and patches had done very little for me. This turned out to be a mistake.
The medication I’d been prescribed had some very nasty side effects that altered the way I thought and my mood. I was in a dark place and things happening in my life at the time didn’t help. I was only on the medication for a month luckily before deciding to discontinue it’s use. During that month, however, I suffered severe depression, racing thoughts, insomnia and even had a suicidal thought or two.
This period of time, between the panic issues, the pills and then subsequent non-medicated attempts to quit really struck me and has stuck with me all these years. It was then that I came up with the original concept for Nicotine Stains.
Another incident that happened to me was during an attempt to quit cold turkey. I found myself, after three days of quiting, in a zombie like trance walking the half mile from my house to the local 24 hour grocery store at 4 in the morning. The whole time I tried talking myself out of buying cigarettes but to no avail. Addiction won out. I remember the sweet relief of that cigarette but the feeling of defeat that followed. The driving force of nicotine addiction is like a prison and it’s a main factor in Charlie’s life in Nicotine Stains.
In between then and now I produced a funding trailer for Beer Pong: The Musical and worked on some short projects, industrials and commercials, never forgetting this little story about a guy who tries to quit smoking but the withdrawal symptoms causes a mental break down.
Last year, I had just moved to Orange County, California and was living with my Aunt. My grandfather was very ill and I was home alone with no one but my now fiancé Kimmy by side for a week. Things we’re looking very bleak and I was having some panic again (the first time in more than a year). It brought back memories of that bad time in college and brought Nicotine Stains back into my mind. That day I sat and wrote out the three page outline of the script on a yellow note pad and knew that the script was ready to be born.
I often think about the energy that helped me unblock and write the outline. I hadn’t been able to write in months and there was something different this time. I really believe my grandpa sent me some of his energy from his hospital bed, 3000 miles away in New York to help me the way he had always done so. The next night, after I was able to speak to him (though he could not speak back because he was unconscious) over a cell phone, he soon passed away.
After he died I was devastated. He had been more like a parent to me then a Grandparent and his loss was almost immobilizing. At the same time, his memory of who he was and everything he had helped me through, the pure strength of our relationship, inspired me in a way that I could never imagine. I started the screenplay two weeks after losing him and eight weeks later the first draft of Nicotine Stains was completed. I know he had been watching over and helping guide me as I wrote. Not being religious it was an incredible experience to feel his presence in my thoughts and work. It’s why this film, once complete, will be dedicated to his memory.
With a lot of polishing and help from Kimmy and my best friend/business partner Christopher Ehling I was able to bring the script to a final draft and begin the long process of pre-production. I knew then it would be a long road but it’s a story that needs to be told and a film I believe in. Things immediately started to come together to make the film…but that’s for another blog post.
Stay tuned for my next installment of Inside The Pack.
Gennaro Desposito
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Welcome inside
Hello out there in internet land, Gennaro Desposito here. For those who don't know me, I'm an independent filmmaker originally from New York and New Jersey. This blog is my official out let for fans and those interested in my new film, Nicotine Stains, staring Matt Fowler, Chris Ehling and Sunny Williams.
Nicotine Stains is my first feature length project and I'm really psyched we're getting to do it. I've been trying since I was a pup to get a full length movie off the ground and finally at 25 I'm getting to do it.
Right now it's like ground zero at Studio 3T (our little production company) with C-stands and lights hanging out. There isn't a room in the place (except the kitchen) that doesn't have a script or scrim sitting around it. We're getting ready for our big fund raising event (a garage sale) and hoping to raise some extra cash for production (enough to buy sound blankets and ice cream). Then next weekend the fun really begins when we do our full table read with the main cast and key crew.
We also have a youtube account set up. I made an introductory webcam video so everyone could get a feel for what we'll be putting up there and what the film is about. Youtube cut me off at the end, but it's cool didn't lose much. Next Time will be a professional job shot with our HD camera anyway.Check out the video here:
That's all for now kids, I'll do a full post soon.
GENNARO DESPOSITO
Nicotine Stains is my first feature length project and I'm really psyched we're getting to do it. I've been trying since I was a pup to get a full length movie off the ground and finally at 25 I'm getting to do it.
Right now it's like ground zero at Studio 3T (our little production company) with C-stands and lights hanging out. There isn't a room in the place (except the kitchen) that doesn't have a script or scrim sitting around it. We're getting ready for our big fund raising event (a garage sale) and hoping to raise some extra cash for production (enough to buy sound blankets and ice cream). Then next weekend the fun really begins when we do our full table read with the main cast and key crew.
We also have a youtube account set up. I made an introductory webcam video so everyone could get a feel for what we'll be putting up there and what the film is about. Youtube cut me off at the end, but it's cool didn't lose much. Next Time will be a professional job shot with our HD camera anyway.Check out the video here:
That's all for now kids, I'll do a full post soon.
GENNARO DESPOSITO
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