Date:
July 13, 2008
Time: 5:00PM
Location: Norris Cinema Theatre/Frank Sinatra Hall
Time: 5:00PM
Location: Norris Cinema Theatre/Frank Sinatra Hall
SCA Alumni Screening Series Presents: BAGHEAD
5:00PM on Sunday, July 13th
Norris Cinema Theatre/Frank Sinatra Hall
Followed by a Q&A with directors Mark and Jay Duplass, actor Greta Gerwig and others, TBA
ABOUT BAGHEAD
While the Duplass Brothers were shooting their last feature film The Puffy Chair, a crew member raised the question “what’s the scariest thing you can think of?” Someone immediately said “a guy with a bag on his head staring into your window.” Some agreed, but some thought it was downright ridiculous and, if anything, funny (but definitely not scary). Thus, Baghead was born, an attempt to take the absurdly low-concept idea of a “guy with a bag on his head” and make a funny, truthful, endearing film that, maybe, just maybe, was a little bit scary, too.
Baghead combines "mumblecore" verité aesthetics with genre elements in new and surprising ways, and establishes the Duplass Brothers at the forefront of next generation filmmaking.
Rated R. Releases on Friday, July 25th, 2008. 81 minutes.
To learn more about the film and to view the trailer, click here.
Print provided courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
ABOUT THE GUESTS
MARK AND JAY DUPLASS (DIRECTORS) first made a name for themselves with a string of award-winning short films, including This is John and Scrapple, which each premiered at Sundance, in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Recently, they made The Puffy Chair, one of the breakout hits from the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. The film won the Audience Award at SXSW 2005 and was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards. It was released theatrically by Roadside Attractions and Netflix in 2006 and is now available on DVD and Showtime. The Duplass Brothers are currently writing and directing a slate of films for both Universal and Fox Searchlight and have sold a television show co-produced with The Weitz Brothers to NBC.
GRETA GERWIG (ACTOR, "Michelle") appeared in Joe Swanberg’s second feature film, LOL, and is excited to work with him again, this time outside of a cell phone. She will soon star in Swanberg’s upcoming Nights and Weekends. An accomplished playwright, Greta has had her works produced at the Minor Latham Playhouse, the Columbia University Graduate School of the Arts, the Lion Theatre at Theatre Row Studios and the Dorset Playhouse. During the summer of 2006, she was a writer-in-residence at the Vassar College and New York Stage & Film’s Powerhouse Theater Festival. Greta is a graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University, where she studied English and philosophy.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Baghead combines "mumblecore" verité aesthetics with genre elements in new and surprising ways, and establishes the Duplass Brothers at the forefront of next generation filmmaking.
Rated R. Releases on Friday, July 25th, 2008. 81 minutes.
To learn more about the film and to view the trailer, click here.
Print provided courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
ABOUT THE GUESTS
MARK AND JAY DUPLASS (DIRECTORS) first made a name for themselves with a string of award-winning short films, including This is John and Scrapple, which each premiered at Sundance, in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Recently, they made The Puffy Chair, one of the breakout hits from the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. The film won the Audience Award at SXSW 2005 and was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards. It was released theatrically by Roadside Attractions and Netflix in 2006 and is now available on DVD and Showtime. The Duplass Brothers are currently writing and directing a slate of films for both Universal and Fox Searchlight and have sold a television show co-produced with The Weitz Brothers to NBC.
GRETA GERWIG (ACTOR, "Michelle") appeared in Joe Swanberg’s second feature film, LOL, and is excited to work with him again, this time outside of a cell phone. She will soon star in Swanberg’s upcoming Nights and Weekends. An accomplished playwright, Greta has had her works produced at the Minor Latham Playhouse, the Columbia University Graduate School of the Arts, the Lion Theatre at Theatre Row Studios and the Dorset Playhouse. During the summer of 2006, she was a writer-in-residence at the Vassar College and New York Stage & Film’s Powerhouse Theater Festival. Greta is a graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University, where she studied English and philosophy.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
The Meat:
So what would this film, at its core, actually be about? Jay and Mark spent almost 2 years on the festival circuit promoting The Puffy Chair. During this time, they were confronted over and over again with one consistent element... desperate actors. Those poor, slightly pathetic characters always waiting outside in the cold to get into a party that doesn’t want them. The ones who approach you as if you’ve been best friends for years, and hand you a bulky DVD with their “reel” and poorly designed business card. At first, Jay and Mark were (like everyone) disgusted and turned off by these actors. But, over the course of time, the Duplass Brothers had a change of heart and fell in love with the desperate actor (after all, the desperate filmmaker is a not-so-distant cousin of the desperate actor). Although highly tragic, these people showed enormous persistence. Almost like the classic hero structure... they prepare for a battle, knowing they are going to lose, but they go in anyway. Mark and Jay eventually found the humor and heart there that would form the backbone of the characters in Baghead. Four desperate actors head off into the woods to write the next great American screenplay, without a clue as to how to get it done. The perfect human vehicles for their unique blend of tragicomedy.
The Fixings:
All of the roles were cast with unknown actors and, in most cases, the parts were written specifically for the cast members. There’s Matt, the hottie Type-A group leader. Chad, is Matt’s chubby best friend and sidekick. He is crushing hard on Michelle, the young mid-western transplant new to LA (though she may be more interested in Matt). And of course, there’s Catherine... the painfully desperate “pushing 40” actress who wants to solidify her on again/off again relationship with Matt before she loses him to a younger girl.
The Bun:
Although Jay and Mark had an offer from a major studio to make Baghead within the system, they chose to make it they way they knew best. Guerilla style. The entire production process was as stripped down as possible. The cast and crew numbered under ten people. Jay held the HD camera and Mark held the boom. The film was shot over the course of 3 weeks in the woods, everyone bunking together in the very locations they shot in. Actors carried lights, lighting guys offered script advice, and directors cooked dinner. Like Cassavetes, it was a true family-style collaboration.
The filming process was the same they used on The Puffy Chair. In order to get the most spontaneous, natural performances possible, there would be no rehearsals and no lighting set-up changes. Scenes would begin and run all the way through to the end without stopping. And, though they did work from a tightly structured screenplay, the actors had the freedom to go anywhere and say anything they wanted inside of a given scene. Jay and Mark would follow the cast around like a documentary crew, catching it all on the fly. About 30-40% of what ended up in the film came from first takes, where the real surprises happened and the actors reacted accordingly.
Digestion:
The edit took about a year. Jay Deuby is the secret mastermind behind the Duplass Brothers movies. He makes them look good by sifting through the somewhat chaotic footage and putting together 90 minutes that make sense.
ABOUT CHECK-IN & RESERVATIONS
This screening is presented free of charge and is open to all USC students, faculty, staff and alumni. The theater will be OVERBOOKED to ensure capacity and the RSVP list will be honored on a first-come, first-serve basis, with no reserved seating. Please bring a photo ID or print out of your reservation confirmation, which will be automatically sent to your e-mail account upon successfully making an RSVP through this website. Check-in will begin at approximately 4:30PM.
ABOUT PARKING
To view the full schedule of films during the Alumni Screening Series, click here.
So what would this film, at its core, actually be about? Jay and Mark spent almost 2 years on the festival circuit promoting The Puffy Chair. During this time, they were confronted over and over again with one consistent element... desperate actors. Those poor, slightly pathetic characters always waiting outside in the cold to get into a party that doesn’t want them. The ones who approach you as if you’ve been best friends for years, and hand you a bulky DVD with their “reel” and poorly designed business card. At first, Jay and Mark were (like everyone) disgusted and turned off by these actors. But, over the course of time, the Duplass Brothers had a change of heart and fell in love with the desperate actor (after all, the desperate filmmaker is a not-so-distant cousin of the desperate actor). Although highly tragic, these people showed enormous persistence. Almost like the classic hero structure... they prepare for a battle, knowing they are going to lose, but they go in anyway. Mark and Jay eventually found the humor and heart there that would form the backbone of the characters in Baghead. Four desperate actors head off into the woods to write the next great American screenplay, without a clue as to how to get it done. The perfect human vehicles for their unique blend of tragicomedy. The Fixings:
All of the roles were cast with unknown actors and, in most cases, the parts were written specifically for the cast members. There’s Matt, the hottie Type-A group leader. Chad, is Matt’s chubby best friend and sidekick. He is crushing hard on Michelle, the young mid-western transplant new to LA (though she may be more interested in Matt). And of course, there’s Catherine... the painfully desperate “pushing 40” actress who wants to solidify her on again/off again relationship with Matt before she loses him to a younger girl.
The Bun:
Although Jay and Mark had an offer from a major studio to make Baghead within the system, they chose to make it they way they knew best. Guerilla style. The entire production process was as stripped down as possible. The cast and crew numbered under ten people. Jay held the HD camera and Mark held the boom. The film was shot over the course of 3 weeks in the woods, everyone bunking together in the very locations they shot in. Actors carried lights, lighting guys offered script advice, and directors cooked dinner. Like Cassavetes, it was a true family-style collaboration.
Time to eat:
The filming process was the same they used on The Puffy Chair. In order to get the most spontaneous, natural performances possible, there would be no rehearsals and no lighting set-up changes. Scenes would begin and run all the way through to the end without stopping. And, though they did work from a tightly structured screenplay, the actors had the freedom to go anywhere and say anything they wanted inside of a given scene. Jay and Mark would follow the cast around like a documentary crew, catching it all on the fly. About 30-40% of what ended up in the film came from first takes, where the real surprises happened and the actors reacted accordingly. Digestion:
The edit took about a year. Jay Deuby is the secret mastermind behind the Duplass Brothers movies. He makes them look good by sifting through the somewhat chaotic footage and putting together 90 minutes that make sense.
ABOUT CHECK-IN & RESERVATIONS
This screening is presented free of charge and is open to all USC students, faculty, staff and alumni. The theater will be OVERBOOKED to ensure capacity and the RSVP list will be honored on a first-come, first-serve basis, with no reserved seating. Please bring a photo ID or print out of your reservation confirmation, which will be automatically sent to your e-mail account upon successfully making an RSVP through this website. Check-in will begin at approximately 4:30PM.ABOUT PARKING
The USC School of Cinematic Arts is located at 850 W. 34th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007. Parking passes are available for Parking Structure D and Lots M & V (across the street from the George Lucas Building) for $8.00. You must pull into Gate 5, located at the intersection of McClintock Ave. and W Jefferson Boulevard and purchase your parking pass with the booth attendant. Street parking is also available along W Jefferson Blvd.
To view the full schedule of films during the Alumni Screening Series, click here.
Contact Information:
Alessandro Ago
213.740.2804
aago@cinema.usc.edu
| Associated Person: | Alessandro Ago |
