Final Three on the Spot and Canned

Final Three on the Spot and Canned by Roxanne McDonald

It was down to Adam, Jason and Will, showcasing two encore films each, then participating in the mini- Cannes-esque finale.

A hearty farewell was made to Sam, who will, we trust, go far as a new filmmaker.

Why I Want to Win

Then the three got to discuss what winning would mean

[which I will not reiterate here, as you can pretty much guess the gist] before showing their choice of encores.

Director! Director!

Jason brought back “Eternal Waters,” the one for which he gave us the insider trick: when using a child actor, try to get twins so you don’t wear just one out. [And try to quell the terror either has: recall how one of the kids was freaked about climbing into a coffin….

“Eternal Waters” had stood up to the professional horror flicks with similar [water] themes—(The Ring; Dark Waters)—with Jason’s adept realism of a mother’s perpetual mental recapitulation of her dead son’s image, though the story seemed de-railed when the guy with the big old Scream knife appears. However, everything came together, even the successful use of the dream not as a deus ex machine but as another rich layer in context.

Jason also brought back his action/comedy, “Sweet”. This piece was one Carrie Fisher called her favorite of all the pieces Jason had done thus far [at the time of the first screening], and called it one which has a completely relatable situation with an ordinary guy and an inordinate situation. Antoine Fugua had credited the short with good action and acknowledged Jason’s taking time with his characters. And Gary Marshall had called “Sweet” comical and accessible, alive and terrific.

Will brought back “Glass Eye”, the slow-moving epic of the eye that ends up in the dog’s intestines. Carrie Fisher had joked about how if her dog pooped her eye out she wouldn’t be waiting around to put it back in, and had suggested that the sweet silent film be brought into the 21st century as a talkie and have some damned dialogue. Wes Craven had agreed it was fun conceptually with fun twists and originality, though he had found a couple of misdirections. And Gary Marshall told Will he had a good eye [heh-heh], had a great actor in the dog, and would only take the guy out of the wife-beater tee shirt.

Will also brought back “The Yes Men,” the short that played on the quasi-Kafka idea of a guy waking up in a dress, the short Will intended to be a Cohen brothers style piece. The film was quite funny the second time around, with Lynn Shea showing up in the same dress as her boss, etc..

Adam brought back an often talked about and alluded to short, “Dough: A Musical.” The film had been called “incredibly, incredibly original” by Carrie Fisher, as well as “totally entertaining.” Michael Bay had also been impressed, saying that musicals have always worked on a visual level, and all Adam had to do was tweak the photography a bit more. And Gary Marshall had delighted in the film, only making a single suggestion about having the girl and guy look at each other as the piece ends.

Adam also brought back “Army Guy,” my favorite of the last of the “On the Lot” weeks: you know the one–with its central character who is a soldier with amnesia…who wakes up in a very tu-tu fluffy dress, is accosted by Candis [Barbies] and overwhelmed by look-alike Ken dolls, and gives us the Hitchcockian nod in the reveals…as he accepts a drink that doesn’t come out of the glass, and as shadows of some giant being [a little girl hovering over her doll house he is trapped inside] lurk and loom.
Final Comments, Pre-Finale

In the penultimate “On the Lot,” Gary had told Jason that Sophocles once said “Euripides makes people as they are.” This, he had said, is what Jason does. Carrie had told Will she has been a fan of his from the silents to the talkies, each suffused with his child-like spirit. And Carrie had told Adam his films are so inventive and funny and that he is a complete original.

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Gregor Wakes up in a Dress

Gregor Wakes up in a Dress by Roxanne McDonald

A fresh twist on the Kafkaesque sees the final four making films about what happens when a guy wakes up and discovers [or doesn’t] that he is wearin a dress.

Only thing worse is waking up to discover you have been eliminated—which is what happened this week to ZACH!

Zach! Man were the others sorely affected. And really nervous now, for as Will puts it, they were sure Zach was going to win…, so now the game is really on.

Will has made “The Yes Men,” which he says should feel like a Cohen brothers film. Rather than focus on the central character’s reactions to waking in a dress, he will emphasize the reactions of those around the guy. It’s a chuckle-inducing piece [as when Lynn Shea appears as the administrative assist in the same dress as her male boss], but logistically has a couple of snags [at least I didn’t like the flip-flop of everyone in dresses at end save one guy…etc.]

Carrie squeals [well, almost] that there was SO MUCH DIALOGUE in this one she almost didn’t recognize it as Will’s. The film had a great look, she adds, great spoof, and, again, he did well with the dialogue.

Guest judge F. Gary Gray (The Italian Job; Set it Off; Friday) also says Will did a good job and he thought it was funny. He tells Will he went all out with production, and F Gary loved the design, even though he could do a little more with the music….

Gary thanks Penny for subbing and rambles a minute, then gets back to saying that was some great sucking up to the boss…like the X Games of sucking up. It had the emperor’s new clothes; the actors were funny [another nod to Lynn Shea and one to the delivery guy]; and Gary salutes Will.

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Final Five Cut to Chase

Final Five Cut to Chase by Roxanne McDonald

Well, sort of. Okay, not. On the road this week are the five still standing are Jason (who got the most votes and therefore gets Jerry O’Connell as actor elite this week), Zach, Sam, Adam, and Will.

This recap dedicated to those involved in the collapse of the Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota. So sorry your road experiences were real and not just fictional.

Yes, much to my chagrin, Andrew received the fewest votes last week. But hey, Andrew, this frees you up to make

feature-length films of the same humor and high caliber. All the better for us!

Adam gives us “Driving under the Influence.” A guy’s car radio makes people dance against their will.

Carrie tells him he clearly has something going on with musicals, and says this is really funny. She laughed really hard, and it is tough to get her to do that.

Guest judge/commentator Gary Ross (of much fame but noted director of Seabiscuit, Pleasantville, and Dave) agrees and calls it charming and unbelievably ambitious. Gary also calls the piece technically proficient and remarks that it goes somewhere, builds cohesively. He adds that he might do something more with the end, but tells Adam he did a wonderful job.

Also a guest of sorts is Penny Marshall, filling in for brother Gary, who is back East doing Happy Days, the Musical. I don’t know if this a joke any more than I will be able to translate for you most of Penny’s profound commentaries, for, as you know, Penny has a colorful dialect and enunciation thing goin on. With Adam, we do get that she doesn’t know whether to trust the choreographer/Adam collaboration…what with the way “you” dance, she says, but adds that it is excellent otherwise.
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LOL on the Lot

LOL on the Lot by Roxanne McDonald

Comedy [romantic comedy] rules the stage and screen this week, leaving voters a difficult choice.

But first the worst news: two more eliminated. While Sam felt his action too long; Mateen felt his action stunt the best of the night (and I agreed); and Jason felt the same weekly

butterflies, Kenny Luby and Mateen Kemet were eliminated.

Kenny was humbled, saying he had learned a lot and learned there is a lot he doesn’t know. (Yes, folks, he actually admitted it!)

Mateen said this opportunity afforded him the chance to work in genres he might not have worked in on his own.

But as many of us were glad to hear: “The world has not seen the last of Mateen Kemet.”

And we will even miss you, too, Kenny, you iconoclast, you.

Tonight is promised to be comedy genre night, and the shorts deliver on that promise.

Zach has created “The Bonus Feature,” wherein a guy tries to impress a girl with the push of a button in his car: the newly dating couple end up in an unintended Rebel without a Cause chicken race, but instead of hurtling over the cliff are airlifted into space where they are met with an Alien/Jurassic Park creature. All from the push of the special feature button.

Carrie reminds Zach what a big fan she is, but says it was more of an amusement ride than a film. Though it incredible visually, she wants more story.

Guest director/judge Brad Silberling (just think baby calling aunt mayor of crazy town, ala Lemony Snicket) thinks Zach is a tremendous skill set in search of a great story.

Gary says that Zach always surprises him, and this piece which wasn’t exactly romance and wasn’t exactly comedy was maybe an homage to different directors…. That or Zach was, Gary suggests, maybe sucking up to Spielberg.
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Lights, Camera, Action Action Action

Lights, Camera, Action Action Action by Roxanne McDonald

…And that’s an understatement on the lot this week.

I have to preface my recap by confessing to being either an action purist or a way-too-green critic of the action genre…or both. I can only sit through so much gratuitous bombing, but at the same time will pop in the Mad Max: Road Warrior tape and watch with great focus and attentiveness…for the twenty-seventh time.

I also can follow and appreciate anything Ang Lee, anything with Nic Cage, and a few other select works. (Yes, Steve McQueen classics, et. al.)
So this recap will be much less often infused with what I believe are witty barbs by the one who is usually quick with the snarkasm and will be more in honor of and respect for the filmmaking process in general.

I’ll leave the wit to the Great Gary Marshall, the sometimes persnickety Carrie Fisher, and, this week, to the guest judge who is known for having done several films in the genre (none of which I have had the opp to see, but including Training Day, The Call, and Tears of the Sun), Antoine Fugua:

First we are made privy to the outdoor eliminations. Based on America’s votes, both Hilary and Shalini are dismissed, dammit.

Sam made “Key Witness,” which he says has and which does indeed have alot of action.

Carrie says it was alot to have to establish in such a short time, and since they are used to doing so, Sam could have done better.

Antoine thinks it was well covered and that the film has a lot of style. But, he adds, it is a matter of style over substance—and Sam needs to get away from the cliches more and to go for some Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid kind of humor.

Gary is impressed with all the running and jumping and hopping, calling it great action. However, he continues, the motivation was weak. He gives the example of the difficulty the characters [actors] had with a piddly little lock…, when they could have, he suggests, bit it off…. But Gary still thought it was good, he says.

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Magical Mystery Tour on the Lot

Magical Mystery Tour on the Lot by Roxanne McDonald

Such a wonderful collection of films this week—it is difficult to vote for just one.

And once we get accustomed to the switching-up of the format and the changing times “On the Lot” appears on TV (is it me or is the show jumping from Tuesdays to Mondays and back again?), we have to get a handle on how to vote….

While I am thrilled Mateen stayed, as he has some mad filmmaking skills, I am also bummed that one genre (horror) threw Shira-Lee out of the running. I know, I know, somebody has to go. Well, go and be successful, Shira Lee: as we instant followers fully trust you will. Wouldn’t be surprised if we see you doing the next Nora Ephron film…or your own, ala Ephron.

Anyway.

On to the night’s showings, which are to follow the “When Two Worlds Collide” conceit:

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Should not have Gone to the Cock-a-doody Car!

Should not have Gone to the Cock-a-doody Car! by Roxanne McDonald

After showing us what we missed last week (argh), On the Lot shows six of the filmmakers’ attempts at horror.

Guest judge is Eli Roth, writer, director, producer, and actor—with such credits to his name as the Hostel pics, Cabin Fever, and Grindhouse (with the brilliant Tarantino).

Up for the Blockbuster Challenge tonight are Kenny, Jason, Andrew, Sam, Mateen, and Shira-Lee.

Kenny is up first: his biggest challenge was communicating his vision.
His horror short is “The Malibu Myth,” which in true Luby fashion is po-mo with characters alluding to past “brutal murders,” but less true to his avant garde style is a short film we can at least follow. Has one scary enough moment, and a cute tag—with the ghouls (bloodied from chomping their victims) Googling on the dead woman’s laptop.

Carrie calls it his most accessible film so far, and says she thought it was good, compared to his other stuff.

Eli says Kenny did a great job, and advises on how the most difficult to nail are tone and mood, which he thinks Kenny did well…not with imitation but originality. The build-up was a problem, but the framework was good, he concludes.

Gary says that we see different things, and while he usually likes (or is used to) seeing indoor horror, the outdoor horror works. Gary also liked the visuals, the monsters with their bad teeth, and the good tempo…all coming from what he calls a “unique mind”.

Working on his short called “Anklebiters”, Sam says he gets the rules for working on one’s first horror film: not to work with 1) kids; 2) animals; or 3) puppets. He is using all three, breaking all the rules.

“Anklebiters” has a kind of tongue-in-cheek” Rod Serlingesque voiceover, and the scenes are pretty damned terrifying if you have ever had an actual animal bite your ankles (those little pocket dogs, for instance) or if you have any phobia about things that come alive in the night, in your bed.

Carrie believed the puppetry, saying Sam did well with it. The prologue was problematic for her, but when he got the action, it was great—the kid was great, etc..

Eli agreed with Carrie, and said that while he thought Sam was going to go the Peter Jackson way (the attack terrific), the prologue and tag gave away and badly impacted the story.

Gary again quoted someone well-revered in the biz (but I missed the name, as he did it as an aside to Carrie and Eli and I couldn’t hear)—saying how in Hollywood, passions turn into monsters of the darkness of your mind. Sam scared him, he continued, and even though the mother ran away and the dog bailed, “you stood your ground and made a solid film,” he concluded.

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On the Lot with Wes Craven: More Blood, Less Sap

On the Lot with Wes Craven: More Blood, Less Sap by Roxanne McDonald

The seventh installment of “On the Lot” features guest director Wes Craven, who even gets the opportunity to judge a so-called horror film.

The third group of five filmmakers hoping to win the title show their offerings, but not before one from group two is eliminated. Marty is shown discussing his being insulted by Fisher, how proud he is to have stood up for his work, and what a hard life he has had. Marty and David think they are in danger this week. One of them is right: as Adrianna Costa comments how they were worried that Marty’s egotistical retorts might have left a bad impression on viewers, she

announces that the next one to go home is Marty Martin.

Carrie Fisher, asked for advice, tells Marty he is a really good craftsman and great with style. She makes a suggestion for better story-telling, and then advises he toughen up. If having her criticism caused him trouble, he was going to have a lot more trouble, she says, as there is a lot more out there. She concludes by telling him he needs to find that place between confidence and arrogance.

Then the stuff we care about begins.

Will shows “Glass Eye”, a slow-moving epic of the eye that ends up in the dog’s intestines.

Carrie says that if her dog ever pooped her eye out she would not be waiting around to put it back in. She calls it a sweet film, a silent, and acknowledges that it is a medium, but talkies have come back in. She suggests that maybe next time there could be a little dialogue.

Wes Craven (introduced with such credits as The Hills Have Eyes, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Scream—though he needs no such introduction to most of us) thinks it was a fun concept with fun twists…very original. He found a couple of misdirections, and names, for example, how the black and white could work differently for the glass eye. Overall, though, he likes the piece.

Gary quips that Will has a good eye, adds the dog was great, and his wife (who worked on production, design, and laying sound track) was great, as well. Gary adds that the only thing he would change would be the character’s dress—and wouldn’t have him in a wife-beater tee shirt next time.

Jason shows “Blood Born”, which I thought was this week’s finest: it is a composition of subtle and generic elements (such as the “sickroom/wellroom” signs) and eery but evocative visuals (such as the shift from grey-blues for the hospital scenes and corrosive yellows for the at home scenes). It is also the most striking with a storyline that ends in irony of the non-humorous sort.

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Separating the Boys from the Egos

Separating the Boys from the Egos by Roxanne McDonald

“On the Lot” 6 brings 5 more films for critique—and more arrogance.

The first five films have been voted on by America, and those waiting to hear their fate are Trever, Hilary, Sam, Adam, and Shalini.

Adam, Shalini, and Sam are safe.

It’s down to Trever or Hilary, and while we had to wait until the end of the show to find out, I will finish it here–to get on with the next week’s films:

Booted off the Lot

Trever is eliminated, but not before Gary Marshall soothes him with supportive words—that “directors feel they can fix anything in the editing room, but they can’t fix casting.” “You go on to do great films,” Marshall says, adding to our sentiments. Good luck Trever!

On the Big Screen

Andrew Hunt is up first, with “Polished”. He introduces his film by discussing how the biggest obstacles were not technical aspects of filmmaking but having to plan a wedding at the same time. At one point, he says, he thought there would be no way he could do this…up against such heavy hitters. In the end, however, he thinks “Polished” is the best film he has ever done.

Carrie Fisher opens critiques by saying that vengeance is for people who haven’t the patience for kharma. She says the film is sweet, the underdog angle is great, and though she doesn’t like being led by the office music, this is a good little silent film.

David Frinkel, guest judge for the week, tells Andrew it is not the best film he has ever done because he has seen Trever do better in previous weeks. Andrew is a talented filmmaker, says Frinkel, but the slow action could better fit a 30-second commercial. He looks forward to more of Andrew’s work, though.

Gary Marshall says revenge works in comedy, drama, and musicals. He loved the leading man; wasn’t sure who bought the hamburgers (a whack inferencing problem?); and the music made him want to go to church. BUT! he thought, “Polished” is quite polished.

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Hey - On the Lot - Are you kidding me???

Hey - On the Lot - Are you kidding me??? Rant by Mike Liebner

On The Lot is NOT HOT!     I mean come on! This amateurish variety/reality tv show is about filmmakers producing material and being judged and criticized. It really should not suck - but it DOES! BIG TIME!

From the first episode to the most recent, ON THE LOT looks like it was produced by the rejected “directors” who did not make the cut! The ejected amateur directors certainly could have done better than this train wreck of a primetime tv show.

Come on - Steven Spielberg - Mark Burnett - were either of you anywhere near the show to give a nod of approval??? Have your “assistants” or “PA’s” even previewed the episodes before they aired to make sure your levels of quality had been attained? I do not think so!

Let me get this out of the way - I went to Cal State to study film and tv and was a Radio TV Major and got my B.A. degree. I made films and learned from some of the best people in entertainment. I may not be producing tv shows as a professional, but I still know enough about the industry to say this show has been neglected in so many many ways production and writing wise.

On the Lot is a GREAT CONCEPT with so much promise! It could be the KING of REALITY TV SHOWS - not the boring poorly paced dud of a show it has been.

On The Lot has been a major disappointment for me from day 1 and I tell ya I really wanted to like this show. I still want to like it, but whoever is producing the show and calling the shots has no clue about what compelling tv is all about. As the episodes drag on I urgently want to tell TIVO to delete… but I can’t… when the episode ends I get angry I wasted my precious time when so much GREAT TV is on my hard drive waiting for me.

Just because the names Spielberg and Burnett are attached does not make a good show. I’m a big fan of Survivor, the Apprentice and even like Pirates but On The Lot is an amateur production.

So - why do I keep watching? I really want to like it and have been curious if anyone important was watching and if the feedback might cure some of the ills.

So - what exactly is pissing me off so much about this show??? (read more…)

Funny is Money, Ergo Shalini is Rich

Funny is Money, Ergo Shalini is Rich by Roxanne McDonald

The fifth installment of “On the Lot” brings a format shift: this time, of the fifteen contestants remaining, five show a new film we get to vote on.

The five chosen to showcase their talents with a no more than three-minute film made over five days are as follows:

Sam Friedlander has for the last couple of years been working to make a name for himself. He’s not doing too bad a job of it, making movies like “Lazy Sunday” with the You Tube group and making “Broken Pipe Dreams” for us.

Carrie Fisher says she really liked this cute and surreal piece. Who hasn’t experienced an event like that at some point? she asks, and comments on how she liked that the hero was human and the adversary was a toilet. The only thing missing, she jokes, is the slow motion “Noooooooo” when the conflict hits.

Ring a ding ding says Gary Marshall—a fish, a dog, and after fart film now a toilet film. While Marshall wishes Friedlander would make a piece that doesn’t make us want to go to the bathroom, he understood the story better than he did the last two Mission Impossibles.

And guest judge Michael Bay (Transformers; The Rock) starts his critique by asking if Sam killed that fish during production, for Bay cared more about the fish than he did the human. He continues that Sam took a two-minute story and stretched it to three minutes; and he could have therefore tightened up his editing—which would have helped the tension, as it got repetitive…. But, Bay concludes, it was fun.

Trever James worked in his small town movie theatre and now works to beat the competition, saying something about having a one-in-four not one-in-five chance before he introduces his movie, “Teri”.

Carrie Fisher says it is a very cute, very well-made film. She would say the acting is over the top, but since the characters were playing out the central character’s fears it worked. Then again, she asks, why not go all the way and get a murderer in there at the end—for the worst [date] could not be just that a man shows up. Still, she says, it is good overall.

Michael Bay says that James has good overall pacing; and the acting was confident. But, he says, the idea is a bit of a “re-tread”, and Trever has got to work on photography and a bit more on style.

Gary Marshall says the lead was excellent, but he liked Trever’s golf film better. While the lead was good, the characters seemed more like caricatures. And funny means money, he reminds everyone. Since Trever is from Montana, Marshall adds, he needs to do a bit better to compete with these people….

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Best of the Lot

Best of the Lot by Roxanne McDonald

The top 18 contestants deliver one-minute shorts judged by Carrie Fisher, D.J. Caruso, and Gary Marshall…and then by we who watch and get to vote for our favorites.

I have had the distinct privilege of seeing the films twice on television, and then went to the www.onthelot website where I got to re-watch my favorites and try to restrain myself from voting for far too many.

I think I ended up voting for five or seven, among them those titles I have marked with an asterisk, if you care or as if I had as much right to judge as Marshall, Caruso, and Fisher—whose comments are paraphrased below also:

Adam Stein, “Dance Man”*

Carrie Fisher called it delightful and charming.

D.J. Caruso (the director of the latest hit, Disturbia, either replacing John Avnet or doing what I read was a rotation thing with the third judge) said they should be sucking up to Adam, for he’s going to be a big name in the industry.

Gary Marshall established one of the criteria for judging, saying how Aristotle defined the story as having a beginning, a middle, and an end, then told Adam he did it in one short film. He added, “If Spielberg doesn’t use you, I would love to.”

Carolina Zorilla de San Martin, “Deliver Me”

Fischer said the piece was really well made, a success.
Caruso was really impressed as well—with the acting, the making childbirth a side note to the phone call….
Marshall likened her to sister Penny Marshall, and said it was hip, that she did a good job.

Andrew Hunt, who brought us “Spaced Out”

Fischer joked that he managed to make an alien barf…something she has wanted to have happen for years. Andy did, she said, what George Lucas couldn’t do.
Caruso reiterated the assignment—to do a one-minute short—and said Andy managed to do that.

Marshall said barfing isn’t his first choice for a film but that he laughed at this. He commented on the perfecting casting of aliens and added that barfing on an authority figure is always great for a laugh.

Kenny Luby, “Wack Alley Cab”

Fischer said she didn’t get what he was going for, but for her, while he is a very talented filmmaker, this didn’t quite succeed…didn’t make her laugh.
Caruso likened it to a late night cable show spoof and said it didn’t make him laugh, either.
Marshall said everybody in the short was “funny” and Kenny should have made somebody reactive to make the film work better.

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Sex and Sensibility…and Funny Flatulence

Sex and Sensibility…and Funny Flatulence by Roxanne McDonald

In a two-hour special edition, episode 3 of “On the Lot” gives us the 18 one-minute shorts of the 18 finalists—a few of whom find farting and barfing to be the coup de grace of comedy and many more of whom feel and express the beauty and grace that is filmmaking at its potential best.

The fart and barf themes aside, some awesome one-minute storylines have emerged from some talented, entertaining up-and-coming filmmakers who have made it to round 3:

Adam Stein, who delivered “Dance Man,” was headed for the courtroom. But on the first day in Harvard Law School, he looked around and asked himself what he was doing there, telling us he didn’t belong there, for he’s a filmmaker. Yep. If his first short is any indication, he will bring brilliant satire of the SNL level of entertainment. Smart, adorable, and supremely successfully absurd material.

Carolina Zorilla de San Martin, who gave us “Deliver Me,” is originally from Spain and moved here with her family when she was ten. She says she moved to the country where she would have the opportunity to work with what she loves, cinematography. With her quirky humor and keen eye and ear, it is clear she has shown continued respect for the craft.

Andrew Hunt, who brought us “Spaced Out,” is a humble, understated and professional filmmaker. He describes what he wants his film to come off as—“big, bold, and funny”—and succeeds, according to the audience laughter and the judges accolades. He also acknowledges the other 17 as all being the biggest competition, as, he says, they are all very talented filmmakers. You are at the top of that list, Andy.

Kenny Luby, who delivered “Wack Alley Cab,” says one does not need to go to film school to be a director. From what we have seen of Kenny in rounds one and two, all you evidently need is an ego the size of a studio. Not to worry, though, the one-minute he delivered—which was over the top, loud, and, as he defended it, “tweaky,” was over the heads of everyone who watched it, foregoing satire of the cerebal kind and forfeiting comprehensibility. Maybe it’s time to head to school, Ken. Then again, maybe he will evolve into the next David Lynch…filmically, that is.

Hilary Graham, who created “Bus # 1,” was a stay-at-home mom feeling something was missing. Now she feels her whole life has led to this moment—though hopefully her whole life was not just about having to pee, which fell flat with the audience (no laughs) and the judges (though they did address her skills behind the camera).

Marty Martin, who did “The Big Bad Heist,” is the adorable mascot-looking type who says he always dreamed of being the next Steven Spielberg [even before the “On the Lot” experience came to be]. He still wants to be the next Steven Spielberg, only as Marty Martin. He’s got some mad skills, and now that his fellow competitor who found him an

intransigent threat has been eliminated, maybe he can be. I will abstain from critique, as there are very few contemporary gansta-themed/noir films I like to begin with.

Will Bigham, who made “Lucky Penny,” had first said he wanted to—no, had to—make the filmmaking life work…for his family. From the skill and creativity he puts into his short, here’s a bet he will make it very far in the competition.

Jessica Brillhart, who created “[How…] to Screw in a Lightbulb,” is not just the youngest woman in the competition but is one righteous woman…righteous without being obnoxious or overstating her teleos. (She’s the one who stood up to Kenny Luby’s lording it during task #2.) You can catch a tincture of such tendencies in her short, which I found to be one of the best (darkly humorous and pointed…toward female empowerment) if not the best of the lot. The judges felt otherwise, but I love the bizarre character inclusion and the no-nonsense wife who solves the issue of the light bulb replacement with a simple flick of the wrist.

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On the Lot Already Bringing a Lot of Ego Issues

On the Lot Episode 2 Already, and Bringing a Lot of Ego Issues by Roxanne McDonald

So surprising and delightful that just two days after the premiere episode of “On the Lot,” the second installment is here!

I hope the show does run two nights a week. In fact, I could dig five days a week.

Besides, I can also catch the rest of the names (or almost all of them), to complete my first piece.

But, oooh, this is already getting “reality TV” tainted: the teams are in the middle of the second challenge—to script, direct, film, edit, and produce a two-and-a-half-minute piece.

For this second challenge task, the contestants must work on a team of three, with each directing one of three scenes in the 2 ½-minute short. The three directors will have three actors and three locations, and will have 24 hours to write, direct, edit, and deliver…by 6 a.m. the next day.

There are already ego clashes. Especially with the self-professed masters of directorial cinematography: Marty is getting on Jeff’s nerves, and Kenny is insulting his

partners, Hannah and Jessica, stage left and scene right.

By the time they get to editing, Kenny is telling the girls he is disgusted and disappointed with their crappy editing, and while Hannah is so shocked she just sits with mouth agape, Jess fights back, saying she is also surprised that such a know-it-all director of photography produces out-of-focus shots and doesn’t know the meaning of something as remedial as scene angle….

We don’t get to see all the final submissions, but we do see
1) Random Acts of Kindness, by Hilary, Brent, and Carolina;
2) Vinny’s Vault, by the likely demonic character from now on in, Kenny, and his partners Jess and Hannah;
3) a short (I missed the title of) by Trever, Marty, and Jeff; and
4) Time Out, by Sam, Zach, and Adam.

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On the Lot an Awesome TV Offering

On the Lot an Awesome TV Offering by Roxanne McDonald

Absolutely brilliant, fresh, compelling as a real-world process is revealed.

As a writer and film buff, I have been waiting for “On the Lot” since the first announcement. Finally, the show with more than singular components and more than myopic formatting has arrived…and by way of a most satisfying premiere, at that.

Some are saying that it adds nothing new to the already overpopulated reality TV world or to the how-we-do-it film industry shows already in existence. Sure, “On the Lot” is another “Project Greenlight,” but also departs from that format by showing the competition on the way to the

green-lit stage. That is, the “On the Lot” competition, if you ask me (and I know, you didn’t), reveals more reality than, say, a show that locks twelve people in a torture chamber to see how long they can survive. “On the Lot”, while, granted, creating unrealistic time-limits for a challenge, still issues the essential process tasks of a director going for the golden gig.
For instance, the competition, in episode one involving the first challenge and cuts of 14 hopefuls, saw judges Carrie Fisher (most well-known as Star Wars’ Princess Leia), Gary Marshall (actor and producer, but also renowned director of such pieces as Pretty Woman), and Brett Ratner (X-Men, The Last Stand, and several other box office hits) fielding pitches for a given storyline, one of five randomly distributed:

A slacker applies to the CIA and gets accepted
A man watching TV sees his own face—as either wanted or missing
A mouse is abducted to be used as a lab rat, and he/she plans escape
A priest meets the woman of his dreams just as he is about to be ordained
A crate from a military base is delivered to a house in suburbia

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On the Lot Should be Hot

On the Lot Should be Hot by Roxanne McDonald

Doing a service to neophyte filmmakers, “On the Lot” should prove to be successful.

“On the Lot” looks like it will move beyond the mere reality genre and will do a service to filmmaking hopefuls. Like a rare few other reality TV programs, “On the Lot” will combine mentoring and moviemaking with the exposure TV tends to give contestants, winner and runners-up included.

Executive producer Mark Burnett knows TV perhaps better than any other in his league—with such successes as “Survivor”, “The Apprentice,” “The Restaurant,” and “Gold Rush” some of the biggest reality TV contenders.

Steven Spielberg knows and is known the world over for some of the best movies of all time—including ET, The Color Purple, Schindler’s List, Close Encounters…, and Jaws.

Now put the two genii together, add contestants, and you have “Project Greenlight” meets “…Actors’ Studio” on Red Bull.

The obvious entertainment value is a given.
The talent-search premise is a given.

But more, the benefits to real individuals with real hopes for filmmaking help are the key characteristics: as Spielberg says in one interview, “All through my career I’ve done what I can to discover new talent and give them a start….” Just as Burnett has inadvertently done with reality TV stars like Rob and Amber Moriano, Spielberg and Burnett will do double for aspiring movie makers.

“On the Lot” airs on FOX this spring.
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