On The Fringe - Jeff Palmer

PREPRODUCTION

Who wrote the screenplay?  How long did it take?  How many drafts did he/she go through?

It took me about three months to write the first draft of On the Fringe, then about two years and several revisions before I was happy with the final version in 1999. The first draft was a mammoth 158-pages, which, of course, had to be whittled down to a reasonable 120 or so page story. I think there were about 5 drafts by the time production started. As with any writing process, rewriting is what it’s all about. That’s where characters and subplots become refined and begin to work together.

Was the screenplay strictly followed in the filming?

It’s difficult for me to stick to the written word on the page when so often spontaneity on set provided moments that surprised all involved. For the most part I wanted the actors to learn the dialogue as it existed in the script, then we could change and tweak what did or didn’t work during rehearsals and shooting.

In terms of actual scene breakdowns and plot flow… that’s a different story. There were a handful of times where we showed up at a location for the day and realized that a crew of construction workers was scheduled to tear up a road, fix a nearby sidewalk or repair some potholes. These situations are commonplace during an indie production – any production for that matter – so it was always a challenge to remain true to the content of the script, but also walk away with the scene in the can. Luckily we were usually able to find ways of getting around those types of obstacles and get the scene on tape.

How did you finance the project?

Tim Maheras and myself funded the production for On the Fringe. Why the owner of a local chowder company would ever want to get involved with making a low-budget movie was beyond me, but Tim Maheras believed in the script and my capabilities to make it all come together. He was very much hands-off during the production, so I couldn’t have asked for a better executive producer.

Did you storyboard your scenes?  And if so, did you use a program or an artist?

I generally don’t use storyboards, but the practice came in handy a few times when there were several crewmembers involved with lighting a scene and designing the set. For the most part, I keep all the storyboards in my head. If I needed to sketch something out, like a floor plan or blocking idea, I’d grab some paper and rough it out so others can get a better idea of what I’m thinking. Once again, spontaneity on set usually dictated what worked and what didn’t.

How did you find your actors?  What kind of pay if any did you offer your actors and crew?

Most of the actors and crew involved with the project were friends and friends of friends, but as it happened, most of those folks were local stage actors and people who had some experience with film and video productions in the past. Since most of my friends are into theatre and film, it wasn’t difficult to fill the cast up quickly with roles fit for their personalities. I only had to pay one actor a small day-rate because he was driving up from another state. I really wanted to pay everyone involved, but there simply wasn’t the budget for it. I did try to feed people as often as I could. Sometimes a decent meal can go a long way. Never underestimate the power of food.

Did you create a budget and did you stay on target throughout the process?  What was your budget?

My production budget ended up coming in around $11,000. This went towards equipment, lighting, tapes, food, props, costumes, locations, copies, gas, and rent. About $2,500 of it went on my credit card and the rest Tim Maheras provided.

FILMING

Did you shoot with DV, 16mm, 35mm, other?

I shot 99% of the movie with a Sony TRV-900 3-chip mini DV camera, a Bogen tripod, and a Sennheiser shotgun microphone. There were a few shots that I used a Canon XL-1 and my Sony TRV-310 Digital 8 camera, but those were for pick-up shots and flashbacks, most of which did not end up in the final picture.

What type of film stock did you use? Why?

I shot a promotional trailer for On the Fringe back in 1997 on 16mm with Jon Millman, a D.P. out of L.A., but none of this footage could be used in the final feature since many of the cast had been recast. It was just for fundraising purposes.

Where did you process it? And Why? Any Advice?

It was processed at DuArt and color corrected in Montreal.

Did you rent, buy or borrow?  Was it a one-camera shoot?

The production camera was purchased outright online. Since the nature of the shoot was going to take several months, it only made financial sense to own a camera during the process. This way I could make myself available at all times. I used a few cameras for a multi-camera shoot during a flashback scene, but in general it was a one-camera shoot.

However many cameras you used, how did you handle setups and coverage for the shots?  Any advice or warnings you can give?

There is such a thing as overkill and I went way overboard with coverage. That’s the one drawback of shooting with DV. Since tape stock is cheap, you can get carried away with getting “just one more shot” and 3 tapes later, you’re still shooting the same scene. It was a blessing to have the ability to run-and-gun all day long, but that freedom can wreak havoc when it comes time to edit -- especially when you’re staring at 60 hours of footage. The next time I will force myself to be less generous when shooting, and more focused on the necessary shots that make up a scene. Storyboarding will become my mantra on my next feature.

What was your approximate shooting ratio?

For On the Fringe, my shooting ratio was about 1:50. This might be appropriate when you’re shooting a documentary, but not when you’re shooting an independent feature. Most of this is due to the fact that dozens of scenes were removed from the final cut of the movie, but I was concerned about getting coverage so I usually kept the camera running and shot everything I could. I knew there wasn’t money in the budget to produce a lot of the scenes again, so I grabbed as much as possible. Once again, tape stock was cheap and that was both a blessing and a curse.

How did you handle sound on the shoot?

I used a Sennheiser shotgun microphone plugged directly into the body of the TRV-900. On most occasions this worked just fine. However, there were a lot of exterior shots that wind noise and running water became problems. Matt Magennis, who also played the character Seamus, was usually on hand to boom the scene and help adjust levels as much as we could. And when grabbing live sound became impossible, I either moved the scene to another location or had the actors back for a voiceover session.

As a side note, I was very pleased with the digital quality of the sound on the TRV-900. It was very clear and the vocal tones sounded natural. Using a Sennheiser mic helped, too.

What kind of lighting did you use and how much of the indoor and outdoor scenes were lighted?

I tired to use existing light as much as I could, but this was impossible to achieve for the entire production. Digital video can be generous when it comes to low light, but you have to watch out for gain issues. I’d rather spend the time rigging some shop lights and bounce cards then boost the gain and live with blotchy, pixilated footage. There were some scenes where I clearly didn’t have the right lighting on hand, but I tried my best to work with it and shoot something that I felt would work in the edit.

The scene when Kurt meets his dad Kenneth was one of my favorites in terms of lighting. I placed some white paper on the floor for bounce and the warm sunlight shining through the blinds provided all the light necessary to get the shot. Lighting and timing worked together to create a pleasant scene and an appropriate mood for the characters.

What were the obstacles you encountered while shooting? Any Advice?

I’d have to say that the lighting learning curve was the most challenging aspect of shooting On the Fringe. It was very important for me to feel “connected” to the scene and shooting my own material helped immensely, but dealing with lighting issues like moving clouds, bright reflections, dark hallways and rooms, daylight mixed with incandescent lights proved to be a difficult undertaking.

I wouldn’t talk anyone out of shooting their own material, but I would also add that passing that responsibility off to someone who is more adept at lighting and framing will allow you (the director) to make better, or at least more educated, decisions during production.

What kind of shots, dolly shots, crane shots, steadicam or other types did you use and what resources did you use to accomplish these?

I used a spider dolly on a few scenes, but was never entirely pleased with the results, so the footage was scrapped. For one of the dream sequences, I built a 20’ crane out of 2x4s and some carriage bolts. Since I didn’t want to risk the $2,225 TRV-900, I fastened my “cheap” Digital 8 to the top of the rig and gave it a whirl. The results were amazing. It’s a shot that in Hollywood would cost a boatload of cash, but we made it happen with a trip to Home Depot and some independent chutzpah.

What other equipment did you find useful on your shoot?  Is there anything you wish you would of had and didn't?

I wish I had rented a doorway dolly for the entire shoot, and a small crane would have come in handy for sure… but that’s for the next project. I did what I could with what I had and I’m pretty happy with what I got.

POST

How did you edit the film?  Did you transfer to tape and edit via computer?

I edited On the Fringe on a PC system using CineStream (formally EditDV). This sounds crazy, but back in 2000 there weren’t as many tabletop home editing programs available as there are nowadays, so after doing the research, we went with editDV. I transferred all the miniDV tapes to Digital 8 tapes and used the Digital 8 camera as my deck. I liked the bulkiness of the Digital 8 format and since it’s digital, there was no image loss moving all the footage to that format for editing purposes. It took about a year to complete the final edit. I also used Sound Forge and Acid to mix music, background noise, and effects.

What were the obstacles you encountered while editing? Any Advice?

In many ways, the editing process proved to be just as demanding as production. Although I wasn’t up against rainy weather and traffic noise, I found myself coming head-to-head with technical breakdowns, computer glitches, firewire problems, rendering troubles, system errors, I/O issues, and “kernel mode traps”. What those are I’ll never quite understand. My editing advisor Tim Sullivan managed to help with any application or system problems I was having, but it was up to me to figure out what I was going to do with 60 hours of raw footage.

The first scene of the script became the last scene of the movie, entire characters were removed, subplots were discarded, and large chunks of footage were totally cut from the picture. Late nights turned into early mornings and long weeks as I chiseled away, trying to rewrite On the Fringe once again.

In the end, the process of editing was the most invaluable of all. It taught me how a scene works – or doesn’t – and what to consider shooting the next time around. I don’t think handing a pile of tapes to an editor would have helped me become a better director and producer. It’s good to pass the torch and see what someone else can come up with, but in my opinion, cutting your feature is part of the rewriting process and that’s something that would be incredibly frightening to give up.

Where did you get the music for the film?

Bands and musicians from the seacoast of New Hampshire provided most of the music in On the Fringe. Some of the tracks were recorded especially for the movie, while others were lifted from CDs and compilations. The music helped add so much to the overall mood of project. I was fortunate to work with so many talented and creative musicians.

How much Foley will you end up incorporating in the editing process?

Fortunately, I grabbed as much live sound on set as possible so the Foley process wasn’t that problematic. There were a few sound hits that I needed to add to certain shots, but overall I worked with ambient tracks and looped additional material if necessary.

Did you have any trouble with sound in the post-production?

I’m not a sound mixer and I couldn’t afford to pay one for the project, so I ended up learning all about audio sweetening. Man, what a job that was. I don’t think I’ll ever try to tackle that process again. What took me 5 hours to tweak might have taken an expert 20 minutes with the right program. I did have issues with syncing, levels, hums, bit rates, and overall quality, but after learning the ins and outs of Sound Forge, I was able to fix the tracks enough. Let’s just say I’m not going to win any sound editing awards, that’s for sure. However, as I got further into the process I picked up the pace and was able to surprise myself a few times. Sound is so damn important to the movie it’s imperative to amp it up as much as you can. A so-so scene can be saved with the right sound mix and music. It’s not all about the image!

What are the main suggestions you would give other filmmakers, based on your experiences on this film?  In planning, in post-production, in scoring, in editing, in pre production, etc.?

Know your script and rewrite as much as possible before shooting. The more it becomes streamlined the smoother your shoot will go. Try to cast the right people for the parts and find the best people to help with your crew. This might be obvious advice, but all too often people jump into productions just because they want to make their movie and they want to make it “Now!” Well, that attitude will drive you crazy by the time you’re halfway through the process. Try to enjoy it as much as you can. You might not get another chance to take on a personal project that enormous for a long time, so make sure it’s worth it.

OTHER

What were the obstacles you encountered while marketing it? Any Advice?

Digital video is still a very difficult medium to market, despite all the success stories that get circulated around the Internet. You can shoot a movie on digital and find theatrical distribution, but these movies usually have A-list actors involved, a few million fueling the production or a script written by a Hollywood insider. The term “independent” has been totally distorted and is rarely used to appropriately describe low-budget filmmaking.

Don’t get discouraged by “No”. Just stick to your guns and tell the story you want to tell. Everything else will fall into place… if Lady Luck has anything to say about it. The market is opening up and changing everyday. Get a camera and start shooting.

Have you been approached by distributors and if so, what are the results so far?

Inferno Film Productions out of Colorado is taking On the Fringe to the 2004 American Film Market in Santa Monica, so I’m very excited about that potential. I was pleased that they found the content marketable. With any luck, we’ll find someone interested in taking it to an international audience on DVD. That would be amazing.

Have you struck a deal with any distributors?

No deals with a distributor yet. Distribution would be awesome, but making another movie would be great, too. One leads to the other I suppose…

Have you returned any profits from the movie as of yet?

I sell a few VHS tapes once in a while, but I am still trying to turn a profit. Fortunately, I didn’t make On the Fringe to create monetary wealth, just creative wealth. If I get a distribution deal that puts money in my pocket, that would be great.

Have you tried the film festival route and if so, how is it going?

On the Fringe didn’t fair so well at festivals, and I have my theories. Mostly, I think, it was due to the length and format. I finally have cut the running time down to about 100 minutes, which makes it move along much faster than the original 115 minutes. By trimming the first half of the picture, it speeds up the story and keeps people’s attention. Folks have generally enjoyed the movie, but the length has always been an issue. I’m sure I’ll have to shave some minutes off for the DVD, but that’s fine. I’d rather make the movie available to a wider audience than be stubborn about keeping certain characters and scenes. What’s important is telling a story to as many people as you can.

What are your future plans for the film?

I’ll use On the Fringe as a calling card and try to shoot another one. If I get lucky with distribution, that would be amazing. For now I’ll see what happens at the 2004 AFM and take it from there. This is a crazy business full of dreamers and charlatans and it takes a steadfast will to survive. Maybe something will happen, maybe not. You can’t force the issue. You just have to keep writing, keep shooting, and keep dreaming.

What do you have in the works after this film?

I am writing a few shorts and one feature-length script. I’m also toying with the idea of adapting Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine into a screenplay. It’s one of my favorite books and would be a huge challenge to bring to the screen. Other than that I’m trying to stay busy with commercials and creative ad work.

For more information about On the Fringe, please visit www.onthefringemovie.com