Joyce Newman R.I.P.: a life of acting and activism

I regret to inform our readers that Joyce Newman, our wonderful leading lady on "Death Do Us Part", has passed away on December 1st, 2012. She was a massive talent, a gracious lady and she will be greatly missed by local Tampa Bay filmmakers and talent.

There has been a memorial service for her in Tampa and it was beautiful to see all of her wonderful family and friends that I never knew. It was the activists and the film people together singing "Spirit in the Sky" as we released butterflies into the air. With all the things we did and all the things we might do to show her we love her, it is still not good enough for her. She was a dearly loved actress and she was always smiling and positive.

Her obituary on this site states her name as 'Newnam' but I know her as Newman and this is because she told me she only indicated herself as 'Newnam' on Facebook. So, I suppose she made her stage name 'Newman'. She was a natural talent and she was very focused and dedicated during the making of our film. I will greatly miss her.

During the memorial service I stated that I will try to screen our film finally, along with other films that featured Joyce, so we can see her at her best, together. We will see if we can screen it in the next few weeks so stay tuned!  I am hoping the screening will do her memory justice... at least a little.

The Official Trailers for Death Do Us Part

Here they are!! The Official Trailers 1 & 2 for the short film Death Do Us Part. So many amazing people helped us to make this short film, we can't thank you enough!

And a Happy Halloween from Jon & Rebecca Croft @ Liberty No. 5 Pictures!

Enjoy!!
:)

Official Teaser for Jon Croft's short film "Death Do Us Part"

Here is the official teaser on YouTube...



So, let me know what you think... 1. Is this good as a teaser?
2. Does it make you want to watch the movie? Also,
3. What do you like about it?

A lot of people helped on this movie and we cannot credit everyone now or in other promotional work- but you will get official credits in the movie- so don't be discouraged.  Speaking of other promotional work- there are...

Two official trailers are also coming on Halloween!
...It's all happening folks!
Wish me luck! :)

Don't Negotiate With Zombies

Barbara knows what she wants, and it's not a Zombie Husband.

If zombies could do more than just groan, gurgle, stumble and snarl - if they could actually talk to you - what would they say? Would they make degrading, undead demands in broken sentence fragments blighted by bad grammar; or with smooth speech, would they seductively convince us to let them consume our brains? Would they rant on their dry, scratchy vocal cords, about how annoying the living are with their delight in the "little things in life"; or would they grumble about the uncomfortable accommodations of the grave: the aches and pains which are a nightly part of zombiehood?

Or, if indeed they were so articulate, would they repent for all evils committed in the past, or stubbornly stand by each and every selfish act while living?

Whatever they do, I think we can safely assume that if - and when - zombies do learn to verbally express themselves... we won't like it. When it comes down to it, do you really want to hear what that maladjusted, filthy, worm-eaten shell of a post-human has to say? The best advice is to board up your windows, keep your fire arm loaded, aim for the head, and don't ever negotiate with Zombies!

AND WATCH "DEATH DO US PART," a short film by Jon Croft!

Written by Rebecca Croft

Is There Love After Death?

Barbara and Henry stand in the living room looking at old photos and wondering what happened to their forty year marriage. At one time it seemed they were deeply in love. They spent every minute together and barely left their one room apartment on Oak street that they rented right out of college. They planned out their future, a promotion, a nice house in the suburbs and a few children. They had it all. But somewhere along the way things began to deteriorate as time drove a splintered wedge between them. Forgiveness was forgotten. Second chances were squandered and they slowly grew apart. Its only been six months since Henry's funeral but it feels like a lifetime. Now Henry wants her back, but is there love after death?

On the mantle piece sit several items that represent Barbara. We used objects that were inherently feminine and catholic to symbolize her saintly devotion to her husband while he was alive.  We used a statuette of the virgin mary, a pair of praying hands and a ceramic lamb. Joy Newman who plays Barbara contributed many details, including a small angel statue of her own which fit in nicely. 

We also added some framed photos to the display. One is a photoshoped image of Joy Newman and Patrick McCall with their arms around each other taken in happier times. We had initially wanted this to be a wedding photo but neither of our actors had wedding photos for us to use and since they had never met before working on the film together we had to merge two of their old photos together creating a alternate history. The other framed photo is of Joy and her two nephews who portray Barbara and Henry's sons. The objects fade into the background and become the clutter of everyday life but if you really look you can see symbols of Barbara's character all around the house.

Written By Rebecca Croft

Event: Will Prometheus be the Best?

Do you wonder if Ridley Scott's new film "PROMETHEUS" will be the BEST film of 2012?  Find out with us!  Yayy!  MOVIE NIGHT!!

My readers and fellow filmmakers are invited to attend a screening of "Prometheus" in 3D IMAX with me and my wife on Saturday Jun 9th at 7pm at MUVICO Baywalk IMAX!

Additional Instructions:  Please show up early because this is prime-time movie watching so grab your seats earlier rather than later. Keep in touch with me beforehand if you want to sit together so we can meet up with you. Afterwards we will go for drinks! It will be massive Ridley Scott fun!

How to get good Production Design in your movies: A philosophy and a learning experience.

Written by:

Rebecca Croft

Production Design is an Art Form! 

I can't tell you how many indie films I've seen that are shot in somebody's apartment with wall to wall carpeting, a media rack in the background and bare yellow walls, where the lead is about 18 years old, vanilla plain, without any defining characteristics at all. So many filmmakers have great aspirations to a smart and witty hard hitting indie but lack visual inspiration. Film is primarily a visual medium so there's no reason why it shouldn't be a feast for the eyes, or at least a buffet for the eyes. Jon really wanted to pour as much creativity and character as possible into his directorial debut "Death Do Us Part". He wanted his indie zombie short to stand out from the crowd and have style. Being our first professional film that we created and authored together we had a lot to learn about making good production design work.

Using the funeral scene as an example in our movie- we knew there were certain items that were absolutely necessary to convey "funeral" to the audience. A cemetery, a coffin, a headstone, a priest and mourners in black.  In reality I don't think many people wear black to funerals anymore but in movies they do. It's part of the strange real/unreal language of movies. We were concerned about our crew being kicked out of a cemetery if anyone saw us filming there. We didn't want to ask for permission incase the answer was "No". We though about shooting in a park and creating some headstones out of styrofoam and keeping all the shots very tight. But in the end Jon decided to risk it and film at the actual cemetery being careful to appear very respectful and even dressing the cast as well as the crew like an actual funeral party. We filmed at the very back of a large cemetery, where we wouldn't be visible from the road. The extras and supporting cast were told to wear black, suits for the men. I also wore black and Jon wore a suit, that way we could cast ourselves as extras if not enough people showed up or at least look like a real funeral if anyone got suspicious. As it turned out I was used as an extra and no one stopped us or questioned us.

Since the scene is dominated by the Priest's eulogy, we started looking online for a clerical priests shirt. It was not difficult to find. We resisted buying the costume version and went for a more expensive Catholic supply tab-collar clergy shirt and I'm so glad we did, a touch of authenticity makes all the difference. We cast Jim Webb for his deep voice and benevolent personality. He showed up looking the part in a black suit, sporting the clergy shirt Jon gave him and dark shades. 

Earlier in the production our actress Joy Newman showed us several black dresses. Jon favored one with a puff sleeve bolero jacket. It was kind of 80's and it had lots of style. We asked joy to wear black shoes and a cross necklace and we would provide the black veiled pill box hat left over from my goth days. She looked amazing with her pale blue eyes peering our of the black veil.  

It was completely out of our budget to buy or rent a casket and completely beyond our ability to carve one out of wood. At one point we knew someone who thought they knew a girl with a coffin that she used as a coffee table but that never panned out.  So Jon painstakingly made a casket shaped from styrofoam and cardboard planning to cover it with a satin casket cloth. We went to our local craft store and bought blue satiny fabric to make the cloth and fake flowers which we mixed with real flowers in a hunk of florist foam to create a large funereal looking flower arrangement (we priced these and they are very expensive). Our brilliant cinematographer did the short casket justice and never shot it from unflattering angles. Then it was all placed on several yards of green astroturf, which seems to be the standard way of covering the large hole in the ground and nearby pile of grave dirt. 

There are many things we could have done to make the funeral scene even better and more professional. Grave diggers standing off in the background, the ever popular movie cliche of rain and a crowd of black umbrellas, more flowers, renting a real casket, a framed photo of the deceased. There are always things you look back and wish you could have done. But you do the best you can with the budget you have and try to apply what you learned to the next film. In all I'm very pleased with what we accomplished in this scene and all the cast and crew who contributed their talents. It wouldn't have been possible without them!

The most memorable iconic characters have something unexpected about them. Pulp Fiction, Blade Runner, Napoleon Dynamite, Royal Tenenbaums are just a few movies I can't forget because, among other reasons, their characters and production design are so memorable.  Do you have any favorite films with great character and production design?  Think about how these movies would not be as memorable or unique without these visual flourishes to help accentuate the characters and locations of the story.  It is truly an indispensable feature to good filmmaking!

Written by:

Writer/Producer Rebecca Croft

Behind the Scenes - Part 4: Marcus Talks Special FX

Part 4 of the Behind the Scenes video series for the short film "Death Do Us Part" soon to be released in 2012. This episode is "Part 4: Marcus Talks Special FX" featuring the local horror hero Marcus Koch and Patrick McCall who plays Henry our Zombie Husband.  Enjoy!

Behind the Scenes - Part 3: Director Jon Croft

Here is the third installment of the Behind the Scenes video series for my first short film "Death Do Us Part".  This episode is about me, the director.  It has a couple of questions I got asked during production of the film last year.



There will be more questions I answer in the future about the film and about my philosophy of filmmaking.  In time I am hoping to have an 'interview series' with numerous questions I need to answer about being a filmmaker and why I am a filmmaker.  These are things I need to do for myself in order to help define what kind of a filmmaker I am and to help me speak more articulately about these sometimes complicated decisions behind filmmaking- not to mention the difficult technical decisions that take place during production and afterwards.  Either way, there is more coming in the next few weeks.

Enjoy and spread around!

Do My Favorite Directors Know Its The End Of The World?

...Because there are so many upcoming movies and incredible projects by some of my favorite directors that it makes me think that they are making their best and greatest films now- as though there will be no tomorrow!  What can I say- I can't wait to see these films!!  All of these are going to be must-watch cinema but a few of these I am most in love with.  My most highly anticipated are Elysium, Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises, Avengers, Looper, Pacific Rim, The Cabin in the Woods, Django Unchained, The Hobbit, but... 

The Most Greatly Anticipated is... 

PROMETHEUS.  

This film, made by the director who made my favorite film "Blade Runner" is returning to what made him a great director, sci-fi.  Especially the fact that directors are returning to practical effects has me so stoked!  As it comes to the trailers... I think these two trailers may also be some of the best trailers ever made.  I saw it on the big screen and my heart was audibly thumping.  I cannot wait to see that film!

From the 'Good' to 'Best'... I'll show you some of the trailers or a link to some of the latest information on these films.  I always like to leave the best for last but I got two amazing Prometheus trailers on here!  So, enjoy!

The Good:

Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson

  

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Timur Bekmambetov

  

Total Recall by Len Wiseman

Machete Kills by Robert Rodriguez 

Gravity by Alfonso Cuaron 

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/sandra-bullock-describes-gravity-as-basically-some-next-level-shit

World War Z by Marc Forrester 

http://screenrant.com/brad-pitt-world-war-z-set-photos-sandy-122207/

Oz: The Great and Powerful by Sam Raimi 

http://www.slashfilm.com/sam-raimi-begins-shooting-oz-great-powerful-full-synopsis-released/

Neuromancer by Vincenzo Natali 

http://www.iamrogue.com/news/movie-news/item/5288-storyboard-from-joseph-kahns-abandoned-neuromancer-adaptation.html

Trance by Danny Boyle 

http://www.slashfilm.com/james-mcavoy-replaces-michael-fassbender-danny-boyles-trance/

Cloud Atlas by the Wachowski siblings 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cloud-atlas-wachowski-brothers-tom-tykwer-225835

The Better:

The Avengers by Joss Whedon 

The Cabin in the Woods Produced by Joss Whedon 

Looper by Rian Johnson 

The Dark Knight Rises by Christopher Nolan 

The Hobbit by Peter Jackson 

Skyfall by Sam Mendez 

Django Unchained by Quentin Tarantino 



Elysium by Neill Blomkamp 

http://www.slashfilm.com/alice-braga-joins-neill-blomkamps-elysium/

Pacific Rim by Guillermo Del Toro 

http://www.slashfilm.com/video-guillermo-del-toros-pacific-rim-transforms-toronto-tokyo/

The BEST:

Prometheus by Ridley Scott 

and the super amazing Extended 2nd trailer that I saw in the theater!

I think these trailers for Prometheus are amazing works of art... they are the best trailers I've seen in a long time!  Ahhhh good times!  Theres gonna be some crazy apocalyptic movie watchin for the next year or so!!  Oh well, I guess if it is "the end times" all I can say is... "It's the end of the world as we know it... and I feel fine."

Behind the Scenes - Part 2: Meet the Crew

The second installment of the Behind the Scenes episodes for my short film "Death Do Us Part" coming out soon in 2012!  This one features our wonderful crew!!

The particular crew featured in this episode...

------------------------------

Rebecca Croft - Screenwriter, Editor, Producer, Wife (uncredited)
Wheat - Cinematographer
Taylor Girard - BTS Video, Best Boy Lighting (I just squeaked it in there)
John Jones - Gaffer
Trevor Spak - Assistant Camera, Boom Pole Operator
Mici Falvo - Production Manager, Three-Ring Circus Conductor
Antonio Moncada - Production Sound, Awesome Guy
Marcus Koch - SFX Make-up, Backup Three-Ring Circus Conductor
Tom Ingham - Assistant Director, Guy with Coffee

(some of these are not real credits)
-----------------------------

Enjoy & spread it around folks!

Behind The Scenes- Part 1: Joy and Marcus Talk Spoilers

Here is the first Behind the Scenes featuring Joy and Marcus! ...




The next video will be up in about two weeks and.... it will feature the rest of the crew!!!

Enjoy!  and spread it around...

The "Real" Behind the Scenes for "Death Do Us Part"

Last year I shot a film we called "Death Do Us Part" with some wonderful talent and crew that has yet to see the light of day, and yet people still ask me "what is going on with the short film, Jon?" which reminds me that this film has generated some interest out there and that you deserve to know what is going on. Well, I will tell you!

The film is completely finished accepting some audio work. We have also put together much of the behind the scenes work which will be released before the film. The trailer will also get a release before the film is shown. That's kind of how it works for me. We will also, eventually, release it on DVD which will include all sorts of special features, the Behind the Scenes Featurette and an audio commentary by me and Rebecca (the wife, editor and writer... and best friend to the director). I might also be able to convince another crew member to give us an audio commentary with me if it is at all possible.

 I will announce when and where the film will be shown and will do the same when the trailer is released. I am hoping to screen the film at a local film festival first - before releasing it anywhere else. Sometimes festivals will only show your film if they get to screen it publicly first, so I will afford them the opportunity to do so fair and square. But, one great thing about all of this is that momentum gets built up to see the film before we show it and that generates even more interest in the film. I get to learn how to do this in the process and get all the hard knocks before I continue on with the next film. If we generate some interest it might prove to some investors that we have enough going on here that we will be able to build a sizable fan base and can sell our next film and generate some income and recoup the investors' hard earned money. But, this is a process we will have to go through.

So for now the news is this... about a week from now we will begin to release the "Behind the Scenes" videos... the real "Behind the Scenes" videos for "Death Do Us Part". Not the "so-called" Behind the Scenes videos I released before I even shot the film, because those were really "Pre-Production" videos. There will be a few of these real "Behind the Scenes" videos, released a few weeks apart from one another and then, we will announce the date for the trailer before it is uploaded. Then we will be looking to screen the film soon after.

 If there are any questions or comments please do not hesitate to ask. This has been in imperfect process so far but the film is very intact and it looks GREAT! I hope you will all get as much of a kick out of this film as I will get showing it! Thanks so much for all of your support so far and, as I said, I will be keeping all of you in the loop! Oh happy days! :D

Jon's Top Ten Films of 2011

I hate to say this, but I didn't want to make a top ten list earlier this year.  I don't know why I feel so compelled to do so now, but I do.  I also have to admit that I might not have seen some of the best films of the last year still, so my list might seem thin or inadequate to some- I doubt it but we'll see.  I am aware of a few films I suppose that would be acceptable on my list, except like I said, I've never seen them yet.  This list at the bottom will be called "Movies I Should've Seen Already From 2011."  So, here they are!

Jon's Top Ten Films of 2011

1. Drive - Dir. Nicholas Winding Refn
An uber-classy film of the highest order.  I detect inspirations from the best years of Hollywood's glory with a leading man and a soundtrack to remind us what good filmmaking is.  A slight raw indie sensibility is present as well.  Refn is almost the new Tarantino in this offering.

2. Hanna - Dir. Joe Wright
An artful action flick with a fairy tale meaning and wonderful performances at its core.  Another super soundtrack to keep us all riveted and cheering for Hanna all the way.  Really masterful filmmaking where you care greatly about the protagonist and you're involved throughout the film.

3. Melancholia - Dir. Lars von Trier
A more accessible offering from von Trier than we are used to out in the audience.  That being said, it still isn't accessible to most people and it is still rife with his themes of nihilism, fatalism and depression.  However, it is still masterful filmmaking (especially the introductory 8 minute sequence) and it proves to be Kirsten Dunst's best performance in my opinion.

4. Martha Marcy May Marlene - Dir. Shawn Durkin
A strange paranoia-inducing romp through one young lady's scarred psyche as she tries to put her cult-following days behind her.  Maybe I shouldn't call it a romp actually.

5. Submarine - Dir. Richard Ayoade
A fun Wes Anderson-ish account of an english boy's attempts to win over his heart-throb girlfriend and his own mother- to accept his (and his father's) strange depressive or should i say, 'submersive' ways. It's a quirky delight.

6. Fright Night - Dir. Craig Gillespie
A much-better remake of the 80's vampire tale starring Colin Farrell in one of his best performances as the menacing vampire 'Jerry'.

7. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - Dir. Brad Bird
The best action flick of the year and incredible visuals and situations that are difficult to believe. Some fun ensemble acting in there as well.

8. Hugo - Dir. Martin Scorsese
A gorgeous, heart-felt film about a poor orphaned child who is working to find his purpose in the world and in the process finds an 'orphaned' early 20th century era Director (Milliez) who created some of most incredible early works of film.

9. Certified Copy - Dir. Abbas Kiarostami
A "Before Sunset"-style film that follows an author and a French woman (who is an enthusiast of his work) as they travel around and take in the Italian art throughout Tuscany. But the film is not a travelogue. Rather the story takes a turn and succeeds at involving the audience deeply in the nature of original art by also examining love and relationships and their connections with our affection for art.

10. The Descendants - Dir. Alexander Payne
A classy, fun and heart-felt tribute to the idea that our legacy on earth and in our family has meaning and value. Some great performances bloom here with George Clooney leading some young actors to some cathartic realizations. The tone of this film stays with you.

Runners up to the Top Ten:
13 Assassins
Hobo with a Shotgun
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Attack the Block
X-Men: First Class
Trollhunter
Captain America: The 1st Avenger
The Adventures of Tintin
Source Code
The Trip
Waiting for Superman
Cool It


Also, there are a bunch of films I still haven't seen from 2011. This may be why they never showed up in my top ten.  Here is a list, but if any of you feel like I should watch them right away andn change my top ten list or I should run screaming away from these films just let me know. Here are the films...

Movies I Should've Seen Already From 2011:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Tree of Life
Take Shelter
The Artist
The Future
The Muppets
Win Win
Young Adult
Bridesmaids
Rango
Midnight in Paris
War Horse
50/50
General Orders No. 9
Contagion
The Help
Bellflower
Another Earth
The Skin I Live In
Jane Eyre
Winnie the Pooh
Warrior
Being Elmo
Anonymous
Rampart
Immortals
Tyrranosaur
Horrible Bosses
Machine Gun Preacher
Stake Land
Paranormal Activity 3
Margin Call
Everything Must Go
J. Edgar
Hesher
Moneyball
Beginners
Fast Five
The Hangover Part II
The Big Year
Puncture
The Rum Diary
Thor
Green Lantern
The Green Hornet
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
The Thing (2011)
Project Nim
Apollo 18
Dirty Girl
Sucker Punch
The Mechanic
Kung Fu Panda 2
Crazy Stupid Love
Soul Surfer
Courageous
Dolphin Tale
Conviction
Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1

I might have gone overboard here, but honestly, its like my eyes are bigger than my stomach, except my love of movies is bigger than my bank account.  So, let me know if any of these movies are worth the expense or if I should have mentioned a different film from 2011!  All and all it was a pretty good year for films... somewhat trans-formative I think- but 2012 should be fantastic!