FUNDRAISER EVENT NUMERO DOS!!!

FUNDRAISER EVENT NUMERO UNO!!!

Thursday, May 12th - 6:00pm
at:
Hengst Studio
1506 Franklin Ave E
Seattle, WA

MUSIC, FILM, DRINK, BBQ, FRIENDS, FUN.

Kickstarter Project Launched

We have officially launched our online fundraiser.  We have until the fourth of July to raise seven thousand big ones!  Check it out, and maybe pledge a dollar or two, or better yet, pre-order a DVD.

VISIT THE LOOP ON KICKSTARTER

Happy Birthday, Albert!

"The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives."

Kickstarter Project Description

          Kickstarter is the largest arts-funding source in the world.  The fundraiser for our project will begin in the next few weeks.  It will last 90 days, and our goal is to raise at least $7,000 for our film.  Kickstarter is a reward-based, all-or-none platform.  Pledges are rewarded with gifts and merchandise, and if the project does not meet its goal, no one is charged and the project is not funded.
          Check it out:

 

The Loop – a short film by Ian Wood
          Many years ago, while driving in a remote part of Eastern Washington, I was struck with an idea for a short film.  It would be about a man lost in an endless loop of orchard roads, in a town where all the people had seemingly vanished.  Like an episode of The Twilight Zone, the film would be a mystery that slowly unravels before our eyes and tells us something about being human.

          I have wanted to make this film since before I even knew I wanted to make films.  In a way, The Loop is why I decided to become a filmmaker in the first place.  As I began to experiment with the medium and develop my craft, I often returned to the idea, taking photos, shooting video and then 16mm film, writing and re-writing, preparing and constructing the film that would not escape me.  I shot screen tests, scenes, and even made a trailer.  Every person I met became a candidate for the acting roles.  The Loop quietly took permanent residence in some small section of my brain and returned in waves of varying magnitudes, time after time, year after year.

          Still, I never could let myself commit to an all-out pursuit of the film’s completion.  I wasn't ready, I felt.  From the same place in my mind where this story would be kept and continue to develop, some voice always clearly spoke, "not now, not yet."

          Now, many years and a number of projects later, The Loop has taken shape in my mind.  As I have evolved and refined my abilities as a filmmaker, the idea has evolved and deepened as well.  I now find myself at a point where I am unquestionably prepared to craft a project of this magnitude, to finally set in stone the quiet obsession that has, quite frankly, had a profound influence on the direction my life has taken as an artist.  Talent and experience, cast, crew, and equipment; All the pieces have all fallen into place, both by my own hand and by those of seeming fate.  I have reached the point of no return.  I am going to make this film.  It is time, and I am ready.

ABOUT THE MONEY:
          In the past (aside from an ongoing documentary project), I have self-funded all of my films, by working and saving money, going into debt, and simply trying not to think about the realities of things like budgeting, film costs, and compound interest.  I shot film, and said, "I'll develop it later, when I have the money."  I was driven to make films and did so regardless of the cost.

          This approach, it turns out, is not sustainable!  Working with film is an expensive endeavor, and after years of doing so, I have inevitably come to the realization that I need to find a new approach to funding my work.  I have come to the point where the scope of my projects necessitates outside funding, and also where I feel completely confident in asking not only for people's money, but also their trust in my abilities to make a great film.

          In my search for new ways to fund my work, I came across Kickstarter.  "How have I not heard of this before?" I thought.  “What a great idea!"
          So here we are.  I am asking for your help, through Kickstarter, to bring The Loop, at last, into the light.  It should be clear how important it is for me to make this film, but my hope is that the film will be important to you as well.  Do you care about film, the art form, and the medium?  Do you want to see new ideas and new approaches to content and form?  Do you want to support an independent artist who truly aims to make a mark, in a medium that is simply not possible to work in without money?  If so, consider backing my project, to whatever degree you feel is right for you.
          Know this: My goal to make a film of rare and true quality, a film that resonates with people and communicates to the highest potential of the medium.  I want to make a film that intrigues and inspires, a visually rich, thought-provoking, and dynamic work of art.  I want to make a film that challenges convention, yet celebrates tradition.  Simply put, I aim to make a beautiful film, and anything you can offer towards that effort will be treated with the utmost respect and gratitude.
          The budget of the film only accounts for direct, “below the line” expenses, the actual cost of making the film (ie: film stock, developing, lab fees, etc.).  No one is being paid or making any money.  All who are involved in making the film are contributing and sacrificing themselves in order to bring the film to fruition.  Since I have self-funded my work in the past, I have learned how to make things happen as cheaply as possible, which is a very important skill for any filmmaker to have.  I consider myself an expert in this regard!  Long story short, your money will go straight to the film, will make a huge impact, and will not be wasted.
          Other than the financing, I have everything needed to make this film.  The pre-production phase is in full-swing, and come August, we will be ready to roll.  I have the cast and crew assembled, the equipment and resources lined up, and the experience to bring it all together.  I have been preparing for this moment for years, and you can rest assured that I will be ready to roll.

          I thank you sincerely for your time and consideration, and I hope you will enjoy and love the film that will be a result of your kindness and faith in this endeavor.  I believe that you will!

          The Loop is coming.  It’s time.

Some Inspiration...

Ugetsu - Kenji Mizoguchi

Spirit of the Beehive - Victor Erice

Dead Man - Jim Jarmusch

The Wind Will Carry Us - Abbas Kiarostami

One Soldier (short film) - Steven Wright

Welcome to The Digital Age

An official website for the film project has been launched.  Check it out at: www.theloopfilm.com.

The site includes an online "store" (Channel 9 style), and links to a plethora of social media tools that I probably won't ever fully understand, such as:

Facebook (have you heard of this?): http://www.facebook.com/theloopfilm

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheLoopFilm

The Loop blog is now located at: http://loopfilm.blogspot.com ... but you are here, so you should probably know that already.  Right?

A Vimeo page is under construction, and can be found here:
http://vimeo.com/ianwood

Thank you, Joel, for taking on the task of bridging an analog project to the post-modern world, so I can continue to pretend it is still the seventies.  If it weren't for you, I think that brain bubble I got the other day may have eventually popped.  Perhaps a job title/credit is in order ...

Social Media Supervisor

Abstract Producer

Experimental Method Man

CyberSpaceMonkey

What do you think?

As for me, I have finally become what I fear the most: blogmaster.

CAST & CREW

Cast:

JOHN GARINGER

John "Johnny-G" Garinger will play the protagonist of the film.  John's filmography is in its budding phase, AKA: he has never been in a film before.  Untrained?  Yes.  But unrefined?  Never.  John is ready for the task.  In our pre-production "trailer" shoot in August of 2010, with limited direction and preparation, John fell immediately into his role with all the grace and ease of a feather in the wind.  And his talents stretch far beyond cinema.  When he is off-screen, John will be using his creativity and carpenter skills to build camera rigging, swap street signs on the fly, or generally come up with creative solutions to every logistical conundrum we may encounter.  More importantly, his presence is strong - positive, hard-working, and inspired.  John is the hero of our film, and our hero in real life too!

PATRICK SHEEHAN

Patrick will play the film's supporting role, the nameless man on the road, part-antagonist, part-companion, part-whoknowswhat.  In real life, Patrick is a talented writer, one of two creative-writing grads on our team!  When he's not working for Ben Bridge, he can be found flipping through the pages of his many 50-pound CD books, writing hilarious things like this and this, or just sitting in a chair.  Patrick will bring the strength of an unflinching indifference to his role - a talent for which he may finally gain the recognition he so clearly deserves … and doesn’t care to receive.

Crew:

IAN WOOD

Writer, Director, DP

     Ian Wood has been making films for six years.  Shooting primarily on 16mm film, aside from an ongoing documentary project (The Old Man & The Flying Machine), his work has been mostly experimental in nature.  His first film, Tsunami Escape, has played the festival and gallery circuit, while his more recent film, Pioneers in the Land of Ghosts, was screened as the visual element of a multi-media performance centered around a live 30-piece orchestra.  Tsunami Escape and Pioneers, both “experimental narrative” short films, illustrate the development of a rich and original visual language from an emerging director and cinematographer.
     With The Loop, Ian aims to tune his visual approach into a more traditional narrative form.  The Loop  will be a slight departure from "experimental" filmmaking towards a more linear, narrative design.  It will be Mr. Wood’s most conventional, yet ambitious approach to cinema to date, an attempt to simply tell a story, but also to make a meaningful and original film that is both timeless and beautiful.  
     Aside from making films, Ian has put together a series of Cinema Shows – live, cinematic performances that blend film projection with music, sound effects, and performance art – and he is building an archive centered around amateur, “home movie” films.

NATHAN MURPHY

AD, Sound

Nathan – AKA Nate – AKA The Unknown Legend – has collaborated on every Ian Wood film to date.  The Loop will be his first major collaboration with Mr. Wood in which he will not be seen on-screen, but his presence in the film will surely prove to be just as strong.  Nate is a writer, a poet, and soon, a filmmaker in his own right.  He is currently working on completing his first film, a docu-fictional story about a man named Bobby Lewis.  For our production, Nate will be Assistant Director, and director of on-location sound recording.

DANNY CHOE

2^nd AD, AC, Photography, Post-Production

Danny has been working in film and video production for about three years.  His specialty by trade is in post-production, but his talents stretch to nearly every realm of filmmaking, and art in general for that matter.  Long story short: he’s a natural.  On location, Danny will be 2^nd AD, AC, as well as stills photographer.  Off-location, he will be involved in almost all facets of pre-production and post-production.

JON HILL

PA

In between making wine, working on rebuilding his 1972 Chevy Station Wagon (another Never Ending adventure!), and generally Doing It All, Jon will be the lead PA of our production.  Jon is multi-talented and experienced in the process of movie-making.  He has been a part of many, if not all, of Ian Wood’s films, to varying degrees.  At Never Ending Films, he is the rug that ties the room together.  On this project, in fact, he will be the rug and the room – The crew will be crashing at his place.

JOEL LEIGH

PA, Sound

In his window of free-time between NASA, Astronomy, Physics, Applied Mathematics, and generally being way too smart, Joel will be another on-location PA for our production.  Joel is an experienced sound engineer, and will thus be focused on sound when the camera is rolling.  It’s always good to have a smart guy on board … in case the cops show up, etc.

JOHN MILNER

PA

 

John Milner, on the other hand, is the guy you don’t want around when the cops show up … but we want him around regardless.  John should be able to dedicate a whole lot of time to the film, because, well, he is unemployed.  But no matter what AT&T might think, we know he will be a great addition to our team.  John is the only member of the crew who has not worked on a film before, yes, but we are confident he will fit right in.  Mr. Milner never ceases to amaze and mystify, whether he is fixing a boat engine on the fly, discussing philosophy, playing Beethoven on the piano, or just generally being Icelandic.

Pre-Production Begins...

With the end of the Great Orchestra Experiment (aka the Circle Symphony) (aka Wow, That Took a Lot of Time), a new chapter in filmmaking begins. Never Ending Films is born - a production house headed by Mr. Ian Wood - and its first major project is officially announced; a short film titled, The Loop.

Budgets are being drafted, scripts revised and tweaked, shot-lists and storyboards drawn up, schedules and timelines concurred upon. The Plan of Attack is under way. Manson, WA, USA, World: Here We Come! The long-awaited Loop film is finally going to be made. We are ready.