So You Wanna Make A Movie: Waking Dreams
Posted by 7th on April 19, 2006

I can't really recall when it was that I became so enthralled by movie making. It might've been the first time I saw Standby: Lights, Camera, Action! on Nickelodeon, hosted by that most infamous of 80's narrators (and the greatest arthritis remedy spokesperson in the history of weird tv commercials), Leonard Nimoy.

Or it might've been the TV special that came on one sunday night (when I was supposed to be at church) that showcased the "movie magic" of how they made those spaceships fly in The Empire Strikes Back. I remember my dad told me it was called "trick photography." I tried to say it, and it came out "trick trotogapy." He thought it was so funny that it became a running joke with him between the two of us, right up until the year before his death, just before my son was born, when I opened up my empty Marlboro box one day and said "Damn, Dad. I'm out of spokes," to which he replied "Having some trouble with that trick photography again, son?" But I digress.

I can remember watching those "making of" shows in complete fascination. I enjoyed watching the behind-the-scenes work as much, if not more, than the films themselves. And of course when DVD hit the scene in the late 90's, I was in love with the "special features" concept. I'd watch all the documentaries BEFORE watching the film, and hated it with a passion whenever some studio released a film with no special features on the disc.

Of course, most effects are done by computer these days, so some of the magic has been taken out of watching the whole process. Or at least, that's how it is with a lot of the big budget films. Just watch the documentaries about the making of Star Wars Episode III. Hell yeah, there's nothing more exciting than watching two guys in front of a green wall hitting each other with plastic sticks for 90 minutes. Then go back and watch the documentary about the making of something like, oh, Krull, and look at the massive sets that the designers actually BUILT, and the make up they used, the mechanics needed to create the cyclops's moving eye, and see which impresses you more.

Nowhere in today's cinematic realm can this be better witnessed than in independent productions. Often times I look at the films that come out these days, with their hundred million dollar budgets, and I think that amount of money is the problem. For every film where today's big budgets and CGI wizardry was an absolute neccesity (I'm thinking of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy here) there are films that use CGI just for the sake of using it, like Troy for example. if Cecil B. Demille could gather thousands of extras for his two versions of the Ten Commandments, there's no reason why a film like Troy needed all those CGI soldiers, not with the budget it had. And I'm not even going to get into the collected works of Michael Bay.

No, independent films are where one has to go to see real imagination at work these days. Miniscule budgets make for lots of neccessity, and we all know what neccesity likes to spit from her womb. Many of today's greatest directors began with very meager productions: Spielberg had his Duel, Lucas had his THX 1138, Peter Jackson had his Bad Taste, and so on. For you young 'uns out there, even Sam Raimi, whom you know as the director of the Spider-man films, got his start with a low budget horror movie he made with his friends from film school entitled The Evil Dead. And the funny thing is, often times those early films represent some of their best work, because they had to use their imaginations to work around problems rather than simply throwing money at them. This is why Close Encounters of the Third Kind is vastly superior to War of the Worlds. This is why any of the original three Star Wars films blows any one of the prequels out of the water (Lucas had to focus on character development and plotting in the originals. By the time the prequels came along, it was all about the eye candy.) Yes, these new films are fun. But for a guy like Spielberg, he HAS to make a Munich for every three or four War of the Worlds, just to keep himself from getting lazy or complacent. This is why, for the most part, true lovers of film find themselves turning more and more to the independent filmmaker.

I've never been in a movie. I assume that most of you reading this can say the same. My dad couldn't. Yes, we're about to skid off into another Dad story, so just get ready for it.

It's been suggested that, short of the fact that he wasn't retarded, my Dad was the living embodiment of Forrest Gump. he was a rock drummer. He was in the army. He was a police officer. He was trained at the FBI academy. And yes, he was in a movie. And most amazing of all, it was a Disney movie.

Back during the period in the Disney Company's history when Davy Crockett was a sensation, and the Wonderful World of Disney was the top-rated show on TV, they produced a large number of period pieces concerning the colonization of the US. A lot of the "back woods" scenes were filmed in the forests around southern Tennessee and northern Georgia. So when Disney came a calling for extras to play "Injun braves" in their new adventure film entitled "The Light In The Forest," based on Conrad Richter's novel, guess who was first in line?

The film was made in 1957 or so, right around when my father was a sophomore at East Ridge High School, playing football, driving hot rods, and playing music at sock hops and such. And as mentioned above, much of it was filmed in the tree-covered hills surrounding the Chattanooga area. So if you were to catch this movie on TV late one night, keep a close eye out for the climactic chase scene where our heroes are pursued through the woods and across a river by hundreds of charging, screaming "Indians." One of them is my old man.

He used to laugh a good bit, talking about it. He said it was filmed in the summer
months, so every chance they got, the local boys hired to play the Indian warriors would jump in the river to cool off. Apparently, it was quite a strange sight to see, all these high school football players and good old boys splashing around in the river, bright red from the waist up, and lilly white from the waist down.

The closest I ever came to being in a movie was being in a crowd of locals watching Demi Moore film her beach scenes for G.I. Jane up in Jacksonville. If anything, it's the writing or the directing that would most likely appeal to my nature most.

So imagine my intrigue when I received an email a good while back from a young budding filmmaker in the UK offering me a chance to not only contribute ideas towards the script of their new horror film, but to become an "executive producer."

The guy's name is AD Lane. He and several of his friends are putting together pre-production on a horror film called "Waking Dreams" that they plan to begin shooting next year in London and South Wales. Their plan for raising production capital for this venture is unique, to say the least. All you have to do is go to their website, send them some money, and BAM. You're a producer on the film, which includes getting your name added to the closing credits. And if you donate enough, you're an "EXECUTIVE PRODUCER." In other words, not only does this have the potential to be a low-budget horror classic like Evil Dead, Halloween, The Blair Witch Project, and so on, but it provides a cheap and easy way for literally millions of people to do something they might have never had the opportunity to do otherwise: see their name up on the big screen.

Their plan is to set a world's record for the highest number of producers for a single film. I'm not aware what the current record holder is, or if anyone's ever bothered to take note of that before, but it's an audacious undertaking, to say the least. Of course, it's not a 100% original idea. Paul and Jan Crouch of Trinity Broadcasting Network fame have been milking money from their viewership to bankroll "Christian cinema" classics like The Omega Code for years. of course, they don't actually give the poor, starving old ladies who send them their trust funds any credit either.

I think possibly what intrigues me the most is the vague nature of the project. Short of AD telling me that the film centers around "the posession of the mind," I've found nothing concerning the actual plot.

Part of this may have something to do with their "Executive Producer" program. Anyone who becomes an Executive Producer has access to a public forum on their website, where they'll be kept up to date on the film's production through every step of the process, including script revision. Anyone on the forum will have the opportunity to offer ideas to improve the script, which will not only get their names on the credits as an EP, but also get a partial writer's credit. As you might imagine, that aspect of it really sank its teeth into my brain and didn't want to let go.

The idea is creating a huge stir in the UK. They've already been featured heavily in the UK press, including BBC WALES RADIO, BBC ONLINE, The Film Guardian, The Education Guardian, Newport University News, The Western Mail, The Grimsby Evening Telegraph, Newport Life Magazine, the front page of the Times Education, and others too numerous to list here.

They've definitely struck a nerve, and I'm sure the concept has a few Hollywood old fogies shaking in their fucking boots. Just think about it for a second. For years now, Hollywood's been making films by template and comittee, force feeding us shit on a silver multi-million dollar platter, just so damned convinced that they know what the public wants. And then out of the blue, here comes a group of guys giving the public a chance to have a SAY in what they see. Just think of the possible ramifications of this. This film has the potential to be the cinematic equivalent to a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book.

On the other side of the spectrum, however, they've drawn the attention of several people in the industry and horror b-movie icons who have thrown in their support, including:

Lynda Reiss - Hollywood Property Master - "SWAT", "American Beauty", "Cruel
Intentions"

Reggie Bannister - Horror Actor - "Phantasm 1,2,3,4", "Bubba Ho-tep"

Andrea Carnevali - BBC Director, Editor - "The Making Of Dinotopia", "Rome"

Steven Nguyen - Actor, Website Designer - "Scrubs", "Las Vegas"

And of course, they have a leading man chosen and waiting in the wings, an unknown named Jordan Wilson, a second year performing arts student who has been described to me as a "Welsh Jack Nicholson." His character, Rhys, is the central villain of the piece, though what KIND of villain is still hidden deep within the confines of the screenplay, which I have not yet gotten my greedy little paws on as of yet.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this project is the website AD and his mates have put up to support it. It's been conceived as an online encylopedia of film production, walking the reader through every stage of development, from idea conception to final editing and distribution. As I gather, it's AD's hope that this site will one day be used as an online learning source for budding filmmakers, and that's no bad thing. Even if the film they end up making isn't an instant horror classic, a record of their successes, and their failures, will be worth its weight in gold to those who've always dreamed of making movies, but never thought they could.

And of course, in my reading over everything that was sent to me, I threw out the possibility of conducting a brief interview with Mr. Lane, and he (some would say, to his own folly) happily agreed. So without further ado, let's do it to it:

7th: First off, to stroke my own ego a bit, how did you find out about The7thLevel.com?

AD: I found out about the 7thLevel through a link on Digg.com. It was about 3am and I had just finished doing my top ten horror favourite horror films and I submitted it to Digg. Anyway, as soon as I added it a link to someone’s top 100 favourite horror films popped up, which made my top 10 seem like nothing. I went and checked it out, and it was your website, and I must say that it’s a very in-depth look at your top 100 horror films. It was a great read, so anyone reading this should check it out straight away…

7th: What first drew you to movie making?

I never did well at school. I just didn’t fit in. I was always rebelling against it, and so when I left I didn’t know what to do with my life, but from the age of about 3 I always had a love for films, and so I started thinking about how I could get into filmmaking. So when I left school, I went to college for 3 years, and learned the basics. It wasn’t really a course for filmmaking, but it did give me a chance to take out the equipment when ever I wanted, and so I was able to get my friends together and make several short films on the old super vhs cameras, back in the day.

I remember the first short was called “The Transvestite Massacre.” It's embarrassing to even say, hahaha. The second short was a more impressive 30 minute film called “OverKill” a gangster/slasher movie, which I am still very fond of. It looks shitty but it was a great learning experience.

I think what really drew me to movie making is the team work, the way that a group of people can come together and be so creative. There is no greater feeling than when you complete a film and show it off for the first time.

7th: Who are your "heroes" in the industry?

AD: I have a lot of heroes in the industry and that’s why I am struggling with what kind of film I want to make, because I don’t want to make a typical horror film, and at the same time I don’t want to make a film that doesn’t look like a horror film. I doubt that made any sense, but basically I want to make the kind of film that has intense horror elements but could be classed as something else, something that would stand out at a festival as something different.

My influences for horror are Cronenberg, Craven, Carpenter, Jackson, Romero, Raimi, and tons more. My influences for the non-horror genre are Paul Thomas Anderson, Cameron Crowe, Sam Mendes, Wes Anderson... they are my influences for making something deeper. My biggest influence is Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko. It was watching that film that made me want to write something dark and horrific, but at the same time be something with depth.

7th: Sam Raimi chose horror as the genre for his first film because horror films could be made cheaply and reap large profits in comparison to money invested. Why did you chose the horror genre for your first film?

AD: I would say that you could make any independent film cheaply, and it doesn’t matter what genre it is, ok maybe with the exception of sci-fi, but even that could be done quite cheap with green screen and a wiz kid animator.

When it comes to filmmaking, you have to use the resources that you have at hand, like for example using people that will work for almost nothing, but at the same time, knowing that they have a passion for the film and wont let you down, trying your best to get equipment hire for free and in return promote their company. These are all the techniques we are putting into this film.

We may only end up with a budget of $20,000 in the end, so it will mean going into complete creative mode and bringing together all of our resources and then trying to make the best film we can with all the limitations we have. Sometimes you can see more depth in a low budget indie film than you could ever get with a Hollywood vehicle… and that’s something we can use in our favour, having less of a budget can give us more of an atmosphere within the film, so all these techniques will be used to our advantage…

But going back to your question, I personally think that a lot of people choose horror, because they are new to filmmaking and find it easier to make a film that revolves around blood, gore, naked girls in showers, creatures, and so on, rather than to tackle a real film that includes a decent plot, or the development of characters, obviously this isn’t my opinion of all horror films, there is a lot out there that do actually give a great story and excellent characters, but 9 times out of 10, your average horror doesn’t have anything to offer but gore and nakedness… but don’t get me wrong, these are my favourite types of horror, the kind of film that doesn’t require you to think, and you are there just to be entertained.

7th: What is the significance of the title "Waking Dreams?"

AD: “Waking Dreams” is the kind of title that can mean different things to different people. I wanted to use a title that didn’t suggest horror, but it did suggest something. I want people to go into this movie and be surprised at how dark it can go, so rather than going with something like the texas chainsaw massacre, which pretty much gives away the entire plot in the title, I wanted to go with something subtle.

Many years ago I had a dream, well ok, more of a nightmare. I can't remember the details, but I do remember that when I woke up I was still half asleep, which meant I was awake and able to see around my room, but the horrific sounds of my nightmare were still going on. It was the freakiest thing ever, and that experience is something I am going to make part of the movie.

It's been very hard to name a film before it's been fully developed, but the basic story has never changed. It's always been about a character going through a life changing experience, and having to deal with his own demons. The title will hopefully have different meanings to everyone that watches the film, that’s the idea.

7th: Independent films sometimes get a great deal of U.S. hype and press during their native release, then get trashed when they actually make it to U.S. theaters. A good example of this would be the recent Australian zombie film Undead. When it came out in Australia, guys like Harry Knowles from Aintitcoolnews.com gushed over it like it was the next Evil Dead, and then it was lambasted as "low budget schlock" and "amateurish" when it hit US theaters last year. Why do you think that happens, and how would you react if Waking Dreams received the same kind of "turncoat" response?

AD: I have said from the start that my proudest accomplishment will be to actually make a feature length film. Of course I wouldn’t want it to get trashed by the media, but it wouldn’t get me down too much.

When I go see a film I never agree with the critics, they look for things that only 5% of films have, which is why they are so critical, and my view is, I am not making a film that the critics would wet themselves over, but a film that your every day Joe would enjoy, the kind of film that still has horror elements, but will come across as a deeper film. And if the film gets hyped up then great, or if it gets trashed by the critics, then that’s also great, because we will have made it to some degree for it to be out there for debate, and that’s what I really want from it, to get seen by the world.

I just looked at the Undead trailer, and without seeing the film, I think it looks amazing. The film may not have decent dialogue or acting, but it sure does look like fun to watch, it looks like it has great production value, and an even better cinematographer. I am gonna have to get a copy and see for myself if its any good…

7th: If you were trapped on an island with Nancy from Nightmare On Elm Street and Laurie Strode from Halloween, which one would you eat, and which one would you bone?

AD: HAHAHA! I wondered when the comical questions would kick in. Knowing my luck if I was trapped on a deserted island with 2 horror characters, then chances are I would also be on that island with either Freddy or Michael Myers, and if that was the case I would use them both as bait, and then congratulate Freddy or Michael for ripping the shit out of them. I am not a fan of either of those characters, but I still love the movies.

I guess bone is American for what I would call bang here in the UK, I like it… makes me think twice now about certain American movies: “The BONE Collector”, “Play it to the BONE” and so on…

This may sound cheesy but I wouldn’t even consider boning or banging another girl, I have found the love of my life, her name is Katy and this is a great opportunity to give her a much deserved mention. She has to put up with a lot, more than she deserves sometimes. You should do an interview with her about me, that would be an interesting read…

7th: You mention that executive producers will have access to an online message board so they can have an interactive experience n movie making, and even add "creative input." By this, am I to assume that your script is or will be a sort of open draft crafted to be reworked and improvised on the fly, almost in a Blair Witch sort of way? How much of the script, if any, is set in stone?

AD: This won't be anything like Blair Witch, I can promise you that. The script is pretty much set in stone. What we want to offer our producers is a chance to offer some creativeness, meaning that they will get to see the progression of the script and can make notes on what they would like to see play differently, so these people will have a chance to possibly make something better, something I hadn’t thought of. And if we use any ideas, we will be giving them an associate writer credit on the film, which I think is only fair if they have contributed an idea that we use. We really love the new internet era, and how people can interact with so much on the net. We just wanted to give movie fans a chance to interact more with a film about to be made, and follow the progress from day 1 right the way through to the completion and the premier. I am trying to offer something a little different.

7th: This being an independent horror film, its mandated under international film law that either Bruce Campbell or Clint Howard be offered a part. How's that coming along?

AD: I just did a search for Clint Howard on the IMDB. The name didn’t ring any bells, but by god has he been busy, with over 130 films under his belt. I do recognise him as the small dude from Apollo 13. Hahaha, wow, they even made a 5th Beethoven film. That’s horrific, I cant believe they made more than 1 of those…

As for Bruce Campbell, its funny you should say that. He is on a list of people we are in the process of contacting to see if he would be interested in a cameo. We already have Reggie Bannister (Phantasm, Bubba Ho-tep) involved with the project. He has been an incredible help, and we are trying to sweet talk him into taking one of the roles. He is a big supporter of indie films.

7th: There will surely be some film "purists," the old guard, if you will, who won't like the idea of "Fans" like our readership having such a proactive role in a film's creation, especially plotwise. How would you react to those who might say you should be giving us all what you think we need as opposed to asking us what we want?

AD: I think it’s a shame when the world can't evolve without someone panicking. Every day we evolve with ideas, technology, our way of living, and with the progression of the internet, we are now able to promote our own films and not have to rely on 2 Million Dollars worth of an advertising campaign. We are able to contact filmmakers now and talk to them about their projects; couldn’t do that a few years ago. People with no budgets are making films that make more money at the cinema than Hollywood Features. Ok that’s rare, but it still happens: Blair Witch, Open Water, Hostal, all are films that didn’t have a huge budget but have made millions for the distributors.

So what are we trying to do, well basically we want to make a feature film, that’s the bottom line. At the same time we want to raise awareness that you don’t need a Hollywood Budget to make something amazing. You need creativeness and a dedicated cast and crew. We hope that we can offer people a chance to contribute slightly to the progress of the film, whether its with the script, or even with the final film. These producers will have a chance to speak, and we may not agree with everything, but its very rare members of the public get this kind of chance at interacting with a feature film. Its not just about getting ideas from the fans, but a chance for them to help make something better than it could have been. There are some very talented people out there, so why not use this new technology and embrace this new revolution?

Now, in the 7th tradition, here are a handful of quick word associations.

Ash – My favourite horror character; well more so in Evil dead 2 and Amy of Darkness.

Blair Witch – I spoke to one of the directors a few years ago, and it was fascinating to see how well they got the film off the ground and their techniques. I am not a fan myself, but you have to respect the way they made a film out of something soooo improvised, very effective…

Sam Raimi – An inspiration of mine. He has a style about his work that I just love. He knows how to keep the viewer interested, I am not a huge fan of his later Hollywood work, much proffered his earlier career.

British Horror – I think how it’s a shame that there aren’t many good British Horror films out there, and making it to the big screen. There was a time that British Horror was all the rage, back in the day when Hammer was out there making cheesy horror films. Where are they now, and what is stopping them from getting back in the game?

Best Horror Movie – My all time favourite horror film is American Werewolf in London, and a close 2nd is George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. I have grown up watching them, and they just have a quality about them that makes it so easy to keep watching them. These aren’t films that work because of a great plot or acting, but on atmosphere and a simple plot, simple characters. I just think they are amazing, great fun…

Worst Horror Movie – I would say there are quite a few horror films that I would love to just trash. Normally I'm in the frame of mind that I respect anyone that goes out there and makes a film, but some filmmakers deserve to be stuck in an office, not making films that people turn off half way through. One horror that springs to mind is the new Day Of the Dead 2, that’s one that I turned off 30 mins in. I didn’t like it at all, looked cheap, and didn’t have any characters that you could care about, and so I watched something else. It’s a shame that they have ruined the reputation of the Day Of The Dead, big shame…

Splatter – Meaningless splatter and gore is something I do love in my horror films, the kind of films you can just sit back and enjoy, and the cheesier the better: Bad Taste, Evil Dead 2, Dawn, and so on…

Freddy – Another franchise that I love. They kept expanding the concept, and that was great, but it did run out of steam in the end, and damn them for making freddy vs Jason, Bad Move…

Jason - Friday the 13th will always be my favourite horror franchise. I don’t think they get boring or repetitive, they do exactly what you want from a typical stalk and slash. However, saying that, I wasn’t that big a fan of the last 2, and I know that franchises have to evolve otherwise they end. But to be honest, I wish they had just ended it. I hated freddy vs Jason, it seemed like a spoof of the two franchises, and I didn’t like it.

Pinhead – I have only seen the first 3 Hellraiser films, I like that they try to do something different, and its refreshing that with each film they try to take things to a different level. I think they are up to about number 8 now, so I have no idea if the franchise is still going strong. Doug Bradley who plays Pinhead is also on my approach list…

Best Horror Author – Without a doubt it has to be Stephen King. I am not a big reader, I would much rather watch the film, sad to say…

Tom Savini – This is one of my favourite special effects people, or should I say make up effects. This guy is a god when it comes to creating zombies, or gore effects. I was lucky enough to chat with him on a few occasions a few years back, and he is a genuine guy, always there for the fans, and a supporter of indie films. I am hoping to get him involved in my film, even if its just as a consultant…

George Romero – I have a lot of respect for him. He knows how to make a good zombie film, but outside of that genre he doesn’t seem to hit any marks, a shame really…

Cemetary Man – If you mean the Rupert Everett horror film, I am eager to see it, looks like it has a cult following, and possibly a serious approach to zombie horror. Its on my list to get a hold of…

Dead-Alive – Possibly the goriest film on the planet. I loved it; great story, amazing effects, and a film to really put Peter Jackson on the map.

And last but not least, The 7th Level – What can I say but this is a cool site, with some really interesting pages. I love the effort that goes into a lot of the items. You guys did a top 100 favourite horror films, I mean come on that’s awesome, well done… We will try our best to include a special mention on the film showing off the 7th level hoody or even the website in the background…

7th: Any parting remarks?

I hope I haven’t bored too many people, make sure you check up on our progress at the website. There you can see what special celebrity producer is on board, how much we have raised, how many producers we currently have, what developments have occurred with the script, and so on. There is always something going on, so please pop by and show your support, and together we can put the UK horror film industry back on the map.

Here's the URL, folks. Check 'em out, and take part in making some movie magic.

The Million Dollar Movie Project