I want to announce the pre-production phase of my new independent short, "Bounce Down". Our first script reading with the talent will be this Monday evening after work. A narcotics squad sergeant and his three detectives caught in questionable moral predicaments are punished and subsequently "bounced down" out of narcotics to the auto insurance fraud unit supervised by a dirty lieutenant who's the ringleader behind the city's car thefts. The majority of the players are actual New Jersey cops and detectives supplemented by other interested parties from our local acting school. I don't want to call this a buddy picture. There is little or no gunplay. I'm a product of the 1970s and have been influenced by movies like Bullitt, The French Connection, The Getaway, McQ and The Seven-Ups and inspired by directors like Sam Peckinpah and William Friedkin. I enjoy the visual aesthetics of Owen Roizman, Dean Cundey, Lucien Ballard. From time to time I will post production updates, ask questions and welcome responses from all. Wish me luck. This is twice as long and twice as big as my first movie (which was a flop).

I guess that's what first movies are for, and weeding out people that don't have the heart to continue. By the time you work on your second, you know what not to do :)

Keep at it, Hugh. Looking forward to seeing "Bounce Down" develop.

Good luck. It sounds interesting.'

My first short was a flop also, but I'm now shooting my first doc and have a second to shoot next month!

Keep shooting!

That's a concept that interests me. I liked Narc this year but felt it could have been better and am currently enjoying "The Wire" on HBO. Here's to more gritty cop movies!

Thank you so much for your encouraging words. Some days I am terrified of this project and others I am so motivated I don't know whether to sh*t or wind my watch. So many questions plague me, namely:

1) Does the "mood" of this picture dictate handheld and gritty or tripod and dolly style;

2) Do my camera angles have to be artsy fartsy and hold hidden meanings ("Uhhh, this angle was chosen because I want to show the dejectedness of this character's state of mind") or should I just compose my shots in an interesting way that moves the story along smoothly?

I'll never forget reading an interview with New Jersey's own Kevin Smith who, after reading a review of his movie, "CLERKS", in which the review stated that the movie "...represented the working man's ennui", Smith responded, "Gee, and here I thought it was just a small movie and fart and dick jokes." That summed it all up for me. Moments like that give me clarity and purpose.

May I digress? Mr. Loh, I have always been fascinated by commericial airline travel. I have always said that there are two no bullshit occupations in this world: Pilots and doctors. You can either make the plane fly and land or you can't. You can open up a human body and perform surgical miracles or you can't. It's just that simple. Anyone with common sense can be a judge. Anyone with training can be a chef. Not everybody can fly a silver tube through the sir or perform heart surgery and have the patient live to tell about it.

Mr. Loh, since you are a movie buff and commercial airline pilot, have you ever heard of the Eastern Airlines Ghost of Flight 401? The ghosts of Flight Engineer Don Repo and Pilot Bob Loft were seen on Eastern Airlines Lockheed L-1011s utilizing salvaged parts from the L-1011 which crashed in the Florida Everglades on December 29, 1972. John G. Fuller wrote the book and a telemovie was made in 1979. If you are interested, I can turn you on to alot of gresrt literature on the subject. I even started my own screenplay about it but I lose steam when I write it because I have so many other obligations.

Heh my title is confusing people some more. I am not a pilot. It's just a funny title.

As for your questions:
//So many questions plague me, namely: 1) Does the "mood" of this picture dictate handheld and gritty or tripod and dolly style; 2) Do my camera angles have to be artsy fartsy and hold hidden meanings ("Uhhh, this angle was chosen because I want to show the dejectedness of this character's state of mind") or should I just compose my shots in an interesting way that moves the story along smoothly? //

I think your prime concern is TELLING THE STORY. The number one complaint I have in watching budget productons is that the direction (or the screenplay) doesn't tell the story adequately. So, film for understanding first, and then film for emotion and style. If you are doing a cop film in the gritty style one of your major considerations has to be authenticity. I think it's great that you have real police auditioning for this. That will totally help you.

Of course I have real police helping me! I've been one for 22 years! Let's see... street patrol, Domestic Violence, Narcotics, Vehiclular Homicide, Financial Crimes, Insurance Fraud, Special Operations...

Being a detective does have its perks!

I would keep the shots clean, and set the mood with lighting, dialogue, and music. I don't think "camera angles have to be artsy fartsy and hold hidden meanings ". When I see fancy angles and shakey shots, I think bad shooting, but then... I never went to a fancy film school and learned about all that artsy stuff.
I'm just a couch potato that has almost 40 years of watching classic movies and television by the masters of the field. I know what I like, even if it is only "dick and fart jokes" :)

Hugh, that's awesome.

Do you have any real criminals consulting as well?

Hugh, I cannot add anything but support from afar. All the best to you, it sounds like it has real potential.

Most movies are shot tripod and dolly. The handheld shot is one of the DPs many tools but never the main one. Keith is right that your first job is to tell the story. Angles and lighting are artistic endeavors that enrich the story. I would not look up to Kevin Smith along those lines. His cinematography is just point and shoot.

"His cinematography is just point and shoot"

Not necessarily true. His first film was very limited in camera moves, but he was also just starting out. Each of his movies after that added more budget, and more experience. With Dogma, he had many techniques that he employed very well. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back was the best as far as camera shots go.

Thank you all for your enthusiastic and supportive replies from all over the globe! Last night, (Monday) we had our first reading which went very well. All of the actors are chomping at the bit to start and all kinds of wonderful feedback was shared. I have some camera dolly tweaking to do and then we will begin principle photography (videography, actually) in about a week or two. I will write back with details as to the success of the first day's filming. Thank you all again for the encouragement.

To most great directors the shots seem to come "naturally".
Develop your story and see where that takes you. YOU need to
find what YOU like as well. No-one starts out with "all the answers"
of what works and not. Expirement and see what you like and
don't like!

Good luck with your project. This definately sounds to me like a variant of Training Day, not especially in plot, but more in character style et cetera. As for 'gritty cop dramas', you really can't beat Training Day for visual style, acting ability, script and authenticity. If you haven't seen it already (which I doubt), please do. Maybe its content will inspire you like it did me.

Hugh, like you I came of age in the 70s.
I liked Joseph Wambaugh, and will never forget the first time I saw 'The New Centurions' with George C Scott. I think that
movie had a tremendous influence on modern day cop shows.

Are you hoping to make something along those lines, as far as depth and character development?

The New Centurions is a classic. In fact I have a future cop script which is headed in that direction.

You know, the more actors in a project, the more problems arise. It is very difficult to get actors together at one time since many have previous engagements and such. So, this production is moving forward in baby steps. I shot my first footage last week. My two Asian actors are fabulous. They have this uncanny sense of camera and a natural screen presence that just blows me away. They have been friends of mine for over ten years and have bugged me to allow them to play "gangsters" in my movie. Well, I have not been disappointed thus far. It's true that certain people just "have it" and others don't. These guys have it. Just their screen presence actually makes my project look like a "real" movie. They have no acting experience and yet they need very little direction. They hit their marks, their movements are fluid. A pleasure to work with. The first scenes shot were where the Asian bad guys pick up the Buddha statue (the audience does not know it but the statue is hollow and filled with stolen diamonds that the Asians are snuggling out of the country). I will shoot the next few scenes with them tomorrow (Saturday), where they make their airport getaway. Unfortunately, I have to film around my star because he needs some time off since he was involved in an ambush where the homicide suspect he went to interview opened fire with a shotgun and shot his partner in the face through the trailer window. His partner is doing ok but my star is still a litttle shook up. And rightfully so! But, on a happy note, filming is going well and I will keep all my conrades abreast of the film's progress.

By the way, I just watched The New Centurians th eother day and it still brings a tear to my eye. My big brother took me to see that when it first came out. My particular project is nothing like training day and not gritty at all because of the storyline. It's sort of light. The cops are seen in a comedic lighthearted way and the bad guys are seen as ruthless. I love the dichotomy in that sort of story. Th ebad guys are BAD an dthe good guys are FUNNY to the point where you'd like to be their friends in real life.

Bounce Down is moving along nicely. It seems the only time people are available is on Sundays so the filming is slowwwwwwwwwww going. You have no idea how production values pick up when you take the time to light properly. Never cut corners. Shoot using a monitor, light your scenes and I guarantee you will enjoy a moviemakers high like you never felt.

Sounds like the short is going well. Can't wait to see this one. Are you posting it online? I was a big fan of Narc and Training Day. I'm always interested in watching cop dramas. Good Luck!

This is nothing like NARC or Training Day. This is more like a movie version of a Wambaugh novel. If you've ever watched the short-lived but fantastically entertaining television series "The Job" with Dennis Leary, my movie is more in that vein. I've been a cop since 1981 and I assure you, police work is more like Barney Miller, "Homicide: Life on the Street" and Dennis Leary's "the Job" then the Miami Vice garbage.

What stage are you at in the project now? Is it still going well?

Well, we are in a production haitus because of the holidays and my two Asian bad guys have gone back to Hong Kong for 6 weeks. Other than that, what I've shot looks good. I cannot wait to get back into it. I am having more fun than a barrel of monkeys.