I'm Blurring into Soft Fibers

A Q&A with Soft Fibers' Director/Actor Mike Mazzanti

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 13:06:57 -0400

Did you have any guidance from a mentor or did you simply learn as you went? How did you decide what needed to come first? Can you explain a little about the process of making the film – how did it all come together?

We were all basically learning as we went; we’ve done some small video projects in the past but nothing near the scale of this production. It was a lot of trial and error, just seeing what worked and what needed tweaking. It can be pretty daunting at times to try and match the images in your head with what you have to work with in front of you, but at the same time, when the two things align, it’s extremely rewarding.

The order of all this seems like quite a blur now, but I’ll do my best to put things in the right sequence. Jamie wrote this story sometime in 2010 and approached me and Niko about turning it into a short film. We sat on it for a long time, just kind of letting it hang in the air. Once summer 2011 came around, we started taking the idea a bit further: fleshing out scenes, discussing casting, and asking people to make some sketches for costumes. However, as the school year began we found our interest dwindling. Luckily, the symposium reignited our ambition, especially with a deadline on the horizon. The first step was to have James adapt the story into a rough script. Meanwhile, Niko and I outlined the potential cast and their availability. At some point costumes began to be conceptualized or revisited, and materials started to be gathered. We let James compose the music at his own speed while we also scouted locations. Once the locations were locked in, we drafted schedules for cast member availability and shooting. Subsequently, we spent a few long days fully creating the costumes. After that, it was all focused on final set up, further adapting any ideas that needed to be completed, and then shooting.

What does the title mean?

Your soft fibers are something that sort of come out when you are under a lot of stress and your emotions become pure and raw. I think James put it best … “It’s metaphorical for your sense of self and personal identity dissolving under pressure to reveal nothing but pure emotions, or your ‘soft fibers’.”

What is the message of the film to you? What was the inspiration for the film?

Accepting things from your past as part of you and moving on; knowing that you can’t just forget parts of your life but in fact have to live with them and make them a part of you for the better. That was always the meaning for me, at least. The inspiration generally comes from relationships and their way of ending …

What are the difficulties of working with virtually no budget? How did you acquire necessary items with no cash or how did you raise money?

The difficulties are most apparent in essentially the items we had at our disposal, or a lack thereof. At the same time, having virtually no budget was also beneficial because it forced us to think outside the box and figure out how to obtain what we needed through modest means; a lot of “indie film making 101,” as we called it. On top of that, having no budget means that we didn’t make an eight thousand dollar movie that has to make twenty thousand for it to feel like it was worth it.
We found an angel investor in the wonderful and lovely Cindy Pizziketti, who provided the means to purchase any necessary items; we scrapped and rummaged through our houses, finding whatever worked; had friends purchase items we’d pay them back for, etc.

How did you make decisions about what you were willing to compromise on – with others and due to your limited resources? How did you decide what was most important to you in telling or showing your vision?

The biggest compromise we eventually found ourselves facing was one made by time. You are up against a wall and time is not really on your side. You can’t be a slave to perfection and brainstorming. You just reach a point where things need to get done. Having a deadline gives you a push to finish the product and be willing to make compromises for the sake of that end goal. It makes it twenty times more stressful but it will actually get things done now rather than residing in the conceptual phase for eternity.

Was scheduling an issue?

Yes, scheduling was actually a nightmare at times. Not to sound dramatic or anything. I could dwell on this, but the short version is that working around schedules for eight people certainly became challenging. Most of us are homeschooled but a couple of cast members are in public school, which created some tricky hours of availability to navigate.

How long did the film take to shoot?

About three weeks, roughly … I wish had a better estimate for days or even hours, but it all kind of just meshes together in my mind and I can’t say we really kept a log of all events.

What type of camera did you use and who filmed?

We filmed with Two Canon T2i’s – one for video and one for audio. Niko ‘Film Master’ Marks did almost all of filming – excluding one sequence which Jamie and I shot.

Did you use any camera rigging or equipment?

We used a Lensse MidX Steadi-cam, which was purchased about three days before filming. We also made a makeshift boom mic by putting one of the T2i’s equipped with a Rode Video microphone onto a lengthy camera stand and holding that over the subject of the scene— which was alternately operated by Jamie and Gnat. For one set-up shot, Jamie and I sat on the trunk of Cindy’s car as she slowly drove towards and away from a building, creating a car-dolly of sorts.

Where did you shoot the film?

Ridley Creek State Park, which Jamie had visualized since the inception of the project; The Neilson’s property, which they so graciously let us scramble around on for a few hours; Ocean City, New Jersey, which had always kind of been in our minds; my house, which was an extremely comfortable environment to be in after so much traveling; Sleighton School, which is an abandoned boarding school for delinquent girls; Marsh Creek, which we kind of chose last minute; and a big ol’ pile of rocks somewhere out in Spring City, which we just happen to notice while driving on the last day of shooting. We had explored many of the locations before shooting and knew them pretty well. We asked around as well to meet certain location requirements, such as a cave entrance, which Tommy Neilson ended up providing.

Was the film shot chronologically?

Not at all. It was actually very hard as an actor to “jump” into the characters emotions out of sequence. To get around that, I would continually discuss where my character was at that exact moment before shooting a scene, trying to get the right mindset.

As directors, we needed to make sure that continuity was maintained (everyone needed to be in the right clothes, etc.) throughout the film to the best of our abilities.

What were the challenges to both acting and directing?

When you’re directing, you have so many things to keep in mind and keep track, such as how everything is interacting and meshing. As an actor, I have to block all of that out and focus on getting into character for a scene, then immediately becoming aware of all those moving parts again. It can be quite tasking to have that constant shift in mentality.

What’s one of the most exciting things about being on set?

When a shot or a scene really goes well or exceeds your expectations. Getting an idea of how a scene or shot can be enhanced or changed for the better on set is quite exciting and rewarding as well. As an actor, just hearing the words “Action” can be exhilarating.

What was difficult about telling a story without dialogue?

From an acting standpoint, keeping in mind my body language and expressions was challenging. I didn’t have words or voiceovers to help guide the audience; when you cut acting down to just the visual aspect, you have to make sure you’re still getting your feelings across. However, by the same token, there were no lines to remember, allowing me to spend all my energy on getting my character to those places with the means of storytelling available.

For directing, making sure that we had good, creative shots that displayed what we wanted to emphasize and that things still flowed and made sense. It was an interesting challenge because we couldn’t take shortcuts by simply saying what we wanted through voiceovers or dialogue; we needed to show it to the audience.

Not to say films with dialogue are the “easy way” by any means. It’s just a different challenge.

Describe the creative relationship between you and your collaborators, e.g. how would you and the person operating the camera work together? Are you telling him what to film and how to film or do you trust his instincts after communicating your vision? Or is it a little bit of both?

For the majority of the film, we just trusted Niko behind the lens. I always feel confident Niko will make it a great shot, which is very comforting for me as both an actor and director. On certain scenes, we’d do a take where we wouldn’t explicitly discuss how the shot would look, as long as I knew where to be and when in front of the camera. Often, after “cut,” I’d take a look at the footage and just think “wow, he totally gets this.” He’s also open to suggestions on how to shoot certain things, willing to try whatever Jamie or I think up.

I trusted the crew a lot in terms of them creating the best possible product, and they did the same for me. There was a healthy back and forth with mutual respect and trust between all of us. I think that’s the best way to help people feel valued and invested in this, or any project.

How did you feel as a director trying to place images to someone else’s words and ideas?

With Jamie as a close friend I felt comfortable about making that adaptation, especially when he’s there with me throughout the whole process. One night, while filming a scene in which my character has an epiphany of sorts—a very crucial scene—, I did a take, then had Niko show it to Jamie for evaluation; this allowed me to adapt my acting for each take as Jamie helped flesh out the psychology behind the character, layering the emotions he saw fit. That process was used throughout a lot of the shooting and it was great having someone know your character just as well, if not better, than you do. He was also very open to having the script evolve as we went, continuing to add and alter ideas while Niko and I did the same.

What were some of the influences for you when shooting a movie without dialogue?

I didn’t keep specific actors or movies in mind throughout most of the shooting. However, I can say that Nicholas Winding-Refn’s Vahalla Rising and Drive were subconscious inspirations, along with any and all work by David Fincher. Also, Luther, a British show, has some really interesting cinematography that I tried to keep in mind during the shooting; the show does a great job of framing its subjects in unconventional ways—such as putting the point of interest in the bottom left or right hand corner within the rule of thirds and having the rest of the shot be lingering on other objects in the room—which focus a lot on what fits the mood of the scene rather than just capturing the subjects that are the focal point of the shot.

For acting, I believe there was only one instance where I explicitly thought of an actor for inspiration: Anton Yelchin in Like Crazy. Awesome actor, great movie.There. I said it.

Was this your first time directing? How do feel you have grown as a director? Do you think you have a particular style?

This is both my first time directing and “formally acting.” I think I have a better understanding of how much it takes to get through the entire movie process: how much you have to be aware of and how to keep tabs on all the things that need to get done, how all the cogs in the machine work, so to speak. There is a large organizational and management piece that I am more aware of now. It was also great to have two people that were just as invested as myself in keeping things in check and finishing the project.

I don’t have a style that I have developed yet – maybe stressed out teenager. I have many idols but no particular style I can think of.

Were you involved in the editing process at all? If so, what was that like?

Niko “Edit Master” Marks did all the editing. The first two days of editing, Jamie and I were alongside him while he did it, giving input. After that, we essentially just entrusted Niko to take over, letting him finish up and then show it to us for tweaking. He used Adobe Premiere for the job.

Do any of you have upcoming projects, and If so, what?

I am currently in the early stages of writing a musical tragicomedy with the unofficial working title A Sailor’s Moonlight Lament; Jamie is pursuing a full-time job as a vigilante/cosmonaut; Niko is currently enamored with completing his goal of placing himself in the Guinness Book of World Records for most fake watches purchased in Manhattan, New York in one hour.

I’m Blurring into Soft Fibers Synopsis:A boy wanders into...

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:25:00 -0400

I’m Blurring into Soft Fibers

Synopsis:
A boy wanders into the woods and encounters bizarre and wonderful creatures.

Directed by Mike Mazzanti

Written and Scored by James Pizziketti

Shot & Edited by Niko Marks

Are you ready?

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:11:51 -0400

Are you ready?

I’m Blurring Into Soft Fibers Official Trailer 1

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:49:33 -0400

I’m Blurring Into Soft Fibers Official Trailer 1

Some more pictures for your eyes to indulge on -Jamie

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 18:02:00 -0400

Some more pictures for your eyes to indulge on -Jamie

MUSIC!!! REAL MUSIC THAT IS IN THE MOVIE!!! MUSIC!!! -JAMIE

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:13:00 -0400

MUSIC!!! REAL MUSIC THAT IS IN THE MOVIE!!! MUSIC!!! -JAMIE

FINAL DAY OF SHOOTING PICTURES!!! WAHHHHHH!!!! -JAMIE

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:54:15 -0400

FINAL DAY OF SHOOTING PICTURES!!! WAHHHHHH!!!! -JAMIE

So, as of yesterday, around 9 pm, I’m Blurring Into Soft Fibers has officially wrapped...

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 11:40:26 -0400

So, as of yesterday, around 9 pm, I’m Blurring Into Soft Fibers has officially wrapped shooting!
Now, on to post-production!

Niko uses a tree to get a high angle shot.

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 23:04:56 -0400

Niko uses a tree to get a high angle shot.

First official I’m Blurring Into Soft Fibers poster.by...

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:08:57 -0400

First official I’m Blurring Into Soft Fibers poster.

by Niko Marks

I’ll do some shooting evaluations later on; the official poster will be up sometime...

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 23:05:00 -0400

I’ll do some shooting evaluations later on; the official poster will be up sometime tomorrow!

-Mike

Update

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 11:44:00 -0400

So, yesterday we shot for a good two hours and we’re pretty proud of the footage we got. We explored a creepy abandoned area and it was perfect for me to get in the right mindset for the scenes.
Today, me, the boys and Josh are heading over to Ridley Creek to shoot a couple of location shots, a few smalls scenes, and re-shoot one scene for the sake of continuity (because attention to detail is nice whenever you can get it).
There should be some pictures up sometime soon, along with maybe a video and hopefully the poster.

-Mike

Quick note

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:30:00 -0400

Niko is sending me different color schemes attached to one of the opening shots and it’s super exciting! Choices, choices.

-Mike

P.S. The first official poster/still may be out soon!

Josh, Gnat, Jamie, and Mike during the film of Blurring.

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:31:00 -0400

Josh, Gnat, Jamie, and Mike during the film of Blurring.

First Day of Shooting Evaulation

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:56:28 -0400

So, Sunday marked our first official day of shooting! We shot from about 10 in the morning to around 8 at night, with a small lunch break in between. Natalie (Girl), Gnat (#2), Josh (#1), and Nora (Makeup/Costumes) graciously accompanied us as we dragged them to two main locations where we subsequently explored, planned, and shot for about ten hours (including travel time). There had been a chance of showers all day, but the weather was actually quite permitting throughout, with a little rain in the early hours giving the scenery a fittingly gloomy look.
Trying to focus on everything that you must take into account while setting up a shot or scene, let alone trying to keep everything else for the movie in mind, is quite tasking; it was extremely difficult to focus on every single scene when we knew we had so much to do. We had some battery problems later into the shoot, along with the eventual and inevitable issue of fading sunlight.
With all that being said, about more than half of the film was shot and I believe we are overall happy with what we have so far.

From an acting standpoint, it felt quite challenging for me to try to vary my facial expressions and body language over the ten-hour shoot when it came to shooting scenes of somewhat similar impact on my character. Shooting out of chronological order also caused some psychological challenges for me as an amateur actor when it came to trying to put myself in the right mindset for a scene. Thankfully, Josh, Natalie, and Gnat all held strong, which hopefully boosted my performance to some extent. Acting can be a very self-conscious activity, and I’m trying my best not to be the weak leak of the project. At the same time, I’m having loads and loads of fun working in front of, and behind, the camera and I look forward to continuing to try and improve my acting. Hearing the words, “Camera 1 ready, Camera 2?” “Camera 2, ready.” “Action!” make me both extremely happy and excited. It feels great just to be out there shooting something, especially something we’ve worked towards for months and months.

We are also extremely proud of how the costumes and makeup have come out. I won’t go into specifics for the sake of ambiguity, but they are pretty dang spooky and cool.

Overall, challenges were met, hours were spent, about eight Monster energy drinks were consumed, and it was a pretty good day of shooting.

-Mike

P.S. I’ll be uploading some behind the scenes pictures from the shoot soon!

Behind the Blur 1 - March 18th: Costumes

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:07:06 -0400

Behind the Blur 1 - March 18th: Costumes

Mike working on some talons for a costume. Photos by Niko Marks

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:35:00 -0400

Mike working on some talons for a costume.

Photos by Niko Marks

Costumes

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 23:03:00 -0400

So, shooting was scheduled to begin Saturday but had to be pushed back for one simple yet crucial reason: costumes. As we drew closer to the day of shooting, we realized that all of the costumes needed were not, in fact, ready to go. So, we took Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as days to fully prepare costumes both conceptually and literally. We made a lot of progress and most, if not all should be ready for shooting next weekend. Though having to scratch previously made filming plans feels like a sort of defeat at first, devoting time to making the costumes much more satisfactory to our vision ultimately feels like a worthwhile venture. The plan, as of now, is still to shoot over two weekends, just spaced out differently than before.
We also finally purchased a steadycam on Amazon which Niko should hopefully have a few days to get used to before filming begins.
In the mean time, Niko should be uploading a video-log/behind the scenes ‘featurette’ of sorts sometime soon, along with some photographs, so look out for those!

-Mike

Filming starts on saturday, here’s a sound for...

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:47:00 -0400

Filming starts on saturday, here’s a sound for ya.

-Jamie/Frock

Influences

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:34:25 -0400

Since our film is one without dialogue, there are certain shooting and acting techniques we will be looking to engage to achieve the same level of storytelling as—or at least a level running parallel to—our counterparts with dialogue.
For inspiration, I’ve been trying to watch films in my spare time which have a certain lack of dialogue, along with films that cleverly use music as a means of telling their story (see admittedly brief list below). Naturally, many films use music as a way of accompanying scenes, but there are certain films which do it in just a way that it really sticks. I’ve also asked the Director of Education at Bryn Mawr Film Institute (where I intern) to compile a list of suggested films, both silent and not, for me to study.
Additionally, I’ve been reading A History of Narrative Filmabout Sergei Eisenstein’s editing technique for his 1925 classic Battleship Potemkin, focusing on how editing can drastically change the emotional impact of a film on its viewers.

The first three films that come to mind are:

Drive (dialogue/music)
The Social Network (music)
Valhalla Rising (dialogue/music)

If you have any suggestions for other films I could watch, please feel free to shoot me an Ask!

-Mike