nooMaraton 2013

Last day it was the yearly film contest "nooMaraton" here in Sweden.
It is a really funny contest where you get 24 hours to make film from certain criteria, and people all over Sweden compete at the same time with the same criteria.

This years theme: "requirements marked" (not sure of translation here)
Locations: Under a lightpole, in a hut and in a lineThings: Bracelet, app and music instrument

We were a bit worried while filming since we somehow lost control and only had 6 extras, but those extras did a wonderful job! :)
But we gained control in the editing and we started out with 26 minutes of raw material. (The film cannot be more then 5 minutes) Then we edited it some more and got down to 7 minutes.
My partner then said that no way we can get it any shorter. Ha, he was so wrong!
We managed to make a film, with credits, that were 4 minutes and 57 seconds long.

Now it is up to a jury here on Gotland to pick a winner, from 11 different contributions, and that winner to the big finale in Stockholm! And even if we don't win we had a great time making the film!

What I do like about this competition is that it is not about the best quality of camera or image. It is how to make a story! How to get all the criteria in to the film in the best storytelling way as possible. That is what filmmaking is all about! To tell a story!

Here is our contribution for this years nooMaraton. And we hope you'll like it!

Stressed!

I am getting more and more stressed, and today was one of the days that I thought that I just didn't want to leave my bed.
But I got up, took a walk in the beautiful sunlight and the just tried to rinse my head from everything.

I am so stressed about everything right now. My job, my film projects, my life, my being. And it sucks! Big time!!!!!

I am proud that I turned down one production that called me and asked if I wanted to be an extra. I know I can earn some money, but I just felt that I don't have time. I need to focus on my own projects and job.

And I am stressed about some of my work. Stressed that I will loose two of my youths I am working with due to that they are moving away and that we don't have that much contact any more. Stressed over not knowing what the summer or fall will bring.

One thing that really stresses me is my own film project: The Rain.
I just have a dream of making a film and just make something that I can stand for and that is good. And I do get a lot of help from everyone.
I mean, Film på Gotland (our local resource center) provides us with camera equipment, Filmgymnasiet Gotland provides me with facilities to film in. All my actors and crew a working for free and making the best of every day! And I am so blessed to have them around me.
What stresses my out is that I don't have enough money to make the film with. Money so we can build props and sets. Money so that I can buy food for my actors.
And also time... There is to little time. We are filming from time to time when every one is available, and that is a big puzzle to work with. It is hard to make a scheduel not knowing when people can film or not.

I am stressed out and sometimes I am starting to doubt on my self and my abilities...

I just want to life my life and do the thing that makes me happy. That's all!

One step back can be a huge step forward!

Okay... So this monday I went out on a location scouting. I was about going by a house for my post apocalyptic drama just to take som measurments for the set design.
When I got there there I found out that the house already was in use for a nearby hotel. And I just thought I was an abandoned house. So there I was, inte middle of nowhere with one location less and a huge step backwards for my production.

I had no plan in my head other than to build a new set and a house for us. But then the question was where and how will I do it?!

Thanks to my wonderful supervising Set Designer, Edvin Steen, we came up with a cool solution that will make us having a house both exterior and interior. And that for only 5000:- SEK ($770). So we sat down for a few hours and made a plan for the set building, got a hold of an forrest where we can do whatever we want. And then just see a dream come true. To build a set for a film and just use the handcraft needed.

I am pleased that we got this set back, because now we can develope in the skills of filmmaking.
Just need to raise the money to make the set.  That's all I need right now.

So if you want to become an associate producer, just as Kevin Noble from New Zealand, please just click the banner below and see what you can do to help. And be a part of a filmmakers biggest dream, to develop in filmmaking!

So much fun!

We had a rehearsal today with our actors Anders Eng and Britta Calamnius, for the short film "Det som göms i snö".
And it was such a joy to hear Anders dialogue for the first time and work with both Anders and Britta to make the dialouge and characters alive! I laughed and giggled like a little child and just felt such a joy inside of me to see the development of the story and are so convinced that this film will be my comeback as a director and filmmaker!

I have the privilege to work with pure talents that has a heart and soul for what they are doing! Who listen to what you want and interpet it right and transform it all so my vision can come true.

I am so happy right now! :) If this film wont be sold on the film market, then something is seriously wrong.... ;)

Anders Eng as Jonas and Britta Calamnius as Agnes

Winning the lottery...

I guess everyone has a dream of winning the lottery. And then not the little sum of money, but the big jackpot!

I am playing the lottery every week, and has done so for the past few years now. The same numbers, over and over again, but I do believe that one the the jackpot will come! I guess every one wants to win 186 million SEK. (That's the jackpot right now)

What would I do with the money? After all 186 million is a lot of money. I would pay of all my debts, both institutional and private. I would buy me a house here on Gotland with a nice garden so I could just live my life and work with my fruits and vegetables. I would give a lot of money to my sponsorchild in Hungary, through SOS Children Villages. I would save some money to my retirement, that will come in about 35 years... And then, I would most likely have about 177 million left.
Hm... Hard to know what to do.... No, not at all! I would make my films! I would just make my dream projects, and buy equipment for a lot of the money and start a rental company here on Gotland.
I would love to make Gotland a living filmmaking island, and with the jackpot that dream could become reality.

Then I wouldn't need to look for money all over the place. I wouldn't need to use crowdfunding as a way to reach my goal. I wouldn't need to call every company over and over again, asking them if they want to support us in our filmmaking dreams!

But to win the lottery.... That is just a dream I share with every one else... And maybe, some day, I will be that lucky man, fulfilling my dreams....

Until then, I am stuck with using crowdfunding as a way of financing my films....

A dream...!

I have a dream. Actually it is more like to dreams but combined in one: I want to move to Alaska and/or Maine.

Why? That I just don't know. I have always had a thing for Maine. Just read about it and seen it on film, and it just seems so beautiful. I guess all the states close to the Canadian border is what I am looking for.
And then Alaska... People just raise there eyebrows at me when I say I wanna move to Alaska. "It is so cold." "It is so isolated." And so an.
I don't mind the cold. I don't mind the isolation. I don't mind to live in a small society with very few people around me.
And the environment is just awsome! But then again, I have never been there.

Someday I will go there. Both to Maine and to Alaska. It is a dream. It is something I just have to do.
And to be able to make films and take wonderful photos.

Someday.... I have a dream....