Climb Aboard the Train of Thought

Ok, so I haven't thought about this movie really in a while because I have been things like this:
1. Finishing the URSA Quarterly (which is TIGHT http://groups.northwestern.edu/ursa)
2. Getting paid to blog about Northwestern (For real, it's so weird. www.collegeotr.com)
3. Finishing my internship.
4. Going on vacation (which is technically where I am right now.)
5. Trying to read for school.

It's a tough life I lead, for realz.

BUT I figured it was about time to give some... "artistic direction" or something. Here are the only thoughts I have really thought about recently. I will for sure have more specific thoughts soon, but you know. Deal with this for now.

1. Locations - First of all, props to Sam for finding literally every high school in the area. That is awesome. I really love the outside of ETHS if we're going to need an establishing shot (which we probably will for the scene when she's in the parking lot - kids always get to park directly in front of the school in movies. It's MAGIC). However, the school is the one thing I'm really not partial about. If we can get a school that we can use for a couple of days AND that we can use for little to no money, then that is the school we will use. If it turns out there are a few of those schools, we can scout the crap out of them. As is, something makes me nervous that we'll have to spin this so it's not asking a school if we can film suicide-and-school-shooting scenes in their pristine high schools. You know? As for everything else, it's kind of the same thing - whatever we can get for cheap or free is what we'll take. Cemetery might be hard to get - if I remember correctly on WAILA (was anyone around for that?) they had to get permission from the families of the graves in the area of shooting or something. We'll have to look into that. As for a house/bedroom - we want something spacious that doesn't look like a college house/bedroom, even if it is.

Prod Design - I think you guys, and everyone really, should watch The Virgin Suicides as soon as you can. Besides having a really great tone - parts are really fucked-up funny and then WHAM everyone is dead - there is great production design. The girls' upstairs bathroom and the bedrooms are great in this movie. It's all about nicknacky kind of things that make a room look lived-in instead of set-dressed. Like nailpolish stains on the carpet or a half-opened box of tampons in the messy medicine cabinet. Stuff like that. This kind of stuff can be done on the cheap as well, which is awesome. I like details that you won't really notice unless you're looking for them. Also, if someone could check and see how much a 4-poster bed costs, that'd be great. I'm starting to think about how specifically we are going to hang someone from the ceiling. I get how the body of it will work, but besides getting a little actor (Adam Tanguay, anyone?) we need something that can still support a lot of weight but look natural in a bedroom. Will a ceiling fan work? Or if we can rent/buy a way cheap 4-poster bed? That was my other plan. I don't know how much camera-trickery we can use, because I do really want a straight-up shot of someone hanging because it's weird and striking. But if we have to, there are other ways of hanging yourself that is even more effed-up. Like, you can kill yourself just by tying up to something not-that-high and lean forward, which really takes a lot of determination. Gross.

DP/Gaffing - See visual pitch. I like where that is right now. I like this idea of duality, but we'll have to meet and make sure we can find a balance between like "man this looks so cool and I totally get it" and "shit, did they run out of one kind of film halfway through?"

Casting - I want to break away from the actors/actresses that are in like, every movie on campus. I think we all know who I'm talking about. Unless they are absolutely the most perfect match, forget it. I've got a couple people in mind that I've talked to about the movie if they're going to be around, but I think we'd be in a good place to see a lot of actors from Chicago as well. Plus, maybe we can advertise in high schools. You never know. Also, anything we can do to have Missy and Beth physically resemble each other could be cool too. I also realized there are hardly any male characters in this movie. I hope that doesn't say something about my high school experience or something.

Producer/APs - Mel, I like your idea about selling shot glasses. In fact, I think they should say "d-runk@northwestern.edu" on them, but we can think of other things too. Obvs, we should look into Thank-a-thon, which is annoying, but could be some big money and I don't care about writing a shit ton of them. Also, my parents just spent most of our money on other stuff, like having three kids in college, so we should talk about financing opportunities. Plus we should look into the women's center which sometimes gives out money, plus if there's anywhere in Chicago that will give money to female directors or movies about suicide or something specific like that that we fall into. Also, if anyone is in Evanston/Chicago area, we should start trolling for donations pretty soon. There's a ton of projects going down in the 3rd - 5th weekend. Even if someone can just secure bagels for us, that'll be great.

Alright, those are all of my thoughts right now. I can't think anymore. I'm going to write another draft before the beginning of the school year, probably between the days of Sept 6 and Sept 16, which is when I get home to when I get back to school. PS, I will have a car on campus (motherfucking heyo) so that will make things easier so we can all go on field trips together. If you will have a car, let us all know too.

High School Slit and Commit 2!

Please excuse the subject line. For some "odd" reason I now have Disney on Demand, allowing me to watch HSM 2 a week before everyone else does. I am on a Disney high.

Anyway, I have been doing a considerable amount of research regarding the high schools where S+C should take place. I have found over 50 schools, including Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St Violators High. Cray cray!

I am not sure how much time Sarah will spend on exteriors, but my goal is to find and grab a school location that screams typical high school. I am talking Grease and Dawson's Creek. Large but not overbearing, lots of windows, hell, even a beautiful waving American flag welcoming students to their educational abode.

I am going to try to steer away from the prep schools and the Catholic schools, as it seems that the script calls for cramped hallways, busy cafeterias, and linoleum floors. Not as grand as "10 Things I Hate About You,"or as pristine as the hallways in "Gilmore Girls." More along the lines of, "Swimfan."

If you would like to receive more information regarding the schools I have found, please feel free to email me at soto.samantha@gmail.com.
Also, please respond if you have any schools in particular that you'd like me to research. I recall Sarah mentioning the school where Detention Teacher was filmed, so any suggestions will help tremendously.

Thanks guys!
Sam