from the music video for "B"

Well the thing is…months went by. More short clips were uploaded, and soon full songs with complete music videos followed.  Each one with only a single letter as their title (B O U1 U2 N T Y). Everyone was inching forward on their seats…waiting for the big reveal…the big ‘man behind the curtain’ moment. But, it soon became clear that there would be no big reveal. These mysterious videos WERE the project. Soon the powers of the internet uncovered that Swedish folk/pop singer Jonna Lee was the woman distorted in the videos and the front-woman of the project. With that, music publications shrugged off the project, and went back to updating us on what Best Coast said on Twitter about the Lou Reed / Metallica collaboration (I’m looking at YOU Pitchfork).

The reveal of who was behind this all actually proved to really not be the driving force of the all the mystery, because the videos kept on coming with no explanation behind them. If you watch the videos in chronological order, Jonna becomes more and more easily identifiable, so I’m sure she realized it was only a matter of time before people figured this out. The true shock is that still to this day Jonna Lee has never officially stated she’s involved with the project, or who else is.

from the video for "20101104"

Maybe to some, that could seem like a disappointment. That these veils of mystery distract from the art. But I would have to argue that something as carefully constructed, heavily layered, and well-planned is innovation on a level unseen before. Ironically, something this mysterious can ONLY have legs to stand on with the help of the Internet, despite the Internet seemingly representing the over-indulgence in information that the project rebels from.

It’s simple to call something like this ‘gimmicky’ but there is no denying its bravery. In an age built on instant gratification, and almost COMPLETE lack of mystery (go ahead and google the answer to anything you’ve ever wanted to know), the ‘iamamiwhoami’ project is choosing to provide that mystery. ZERO interviews, ZERO promotion, and ZERO explanation of all the many layers of symbolism that fans have discovered trace back to outlandish source material like mandragora folklore. Its worth noting this choice goes against just about every typical ‘rise to fame’ move you could pull. If you think we’re ever gonna see an ‘iamamiwhoami’ song in a Coke commercial, I would suggest not holding your breath.

Jonna Lee as a salad. From the video for "N"

This project has brilliantly accomplished the unthinkable in The Age of Information: gain a rabid loyal fan base by doing absolutely nothing beyond putting their art on a tray for the taking. If you are a fan of ‘iamamiwhoami’ its because you are a fan of the art itself, simply because there is NO other aspect to the project.

I would be lying if I said this project has gotten no recognition, but it is the way that the artists behind this have handled the recognition and praise that is truly worth noting. At the 2011 Swedish Grammis Awards, ‘iamamiwhoami’ won for “Innovator of the Year”. How did they accept this award? An anonymous woman approached the stage with an envelope that she was told to open in the event they won. Inside the envelope: a blank piece of paper. Before leaving the stage the woman said ‘Thank you. That’s all I am allowed to say.” This unrelenting commitment to not break character is something to respect, especially considering the projects marriage to mystery.

There is a reason the project has such a dedicated fan-base. The rewards of the unknown, and the sense of surprise the project offers is something that many from my generation lack. The convenience of having everything at your fingertips comes at the price of losing the wonder of discovery. It’s no surprise that people have such a strong reaction to the project. ‘iamamiwhoami’ is providing what for many has been lost. In this Digital Age, that’s a little bit of magic.

Watch the latest video from ‘iamamiwhoami’ titled ‘sever’ below, which is the first video in the next chapter for the project: a full-length audio-visual album titled ‘kin’ which is to be released on June 11th 2012.

10. Lotus Eaters

When I first saw the trailer for this film I thought to myself “looks sorta like that TV show ‘Skins‘” (of which I mean the original British version…don’t even get me started on the American MTV bullshit remake) and I wasn’t entirely off base. This film is sex, drugs, and rock and roll – plain and simple; but it does so with heart and searing visual flair. It all made sense in the Q&A after the screening when writer/director Alexandra McGuinness explained that she had a background as a stylist and a large interest in fashion, because the way this film is photographed is a bit reminiscent of classic fashion photography. “Lotus Eaters” follows a group of young upper class brits living their life in that aimless cycle that we all at some point or another fell into in our teenage years. At the center is a blooming yet turbulent relationship between two of the main characters Alice and Charlie, the latter of which has a bit of a drug problem.

The movie spirals around their lives as if a fly on the wall taking you from one situation to the next, whether it be a wild party with vodka-baths, or buying ridiculous clothing accessories. The movie is lean at just 78min, and is pretty light on plot but heavy on character. It was the last act of the film that really just had me hooked. Once the wave finally crashes down on the never-ending party these lads live, it begins to take a more pensive route. One that ultimately ends up making this film a wild ride. Top that off with Alexandra’s seriously kick-ass taste in music (I’m talking best soundtrack of the year) and seemingly instinctual mastery of blending visuals with music and you end up with a fascinating gem of a feature debut.

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9. The Tree of Life
written & directed by Terrence Malick

I would just as quickly warn people to never watch this film almost as much as I would plead others to. Its glacial pacing, stream-of-consciousness structure, over two-hour runtime, and minimalistic story will probably have unsuspecting filmgoers instinctually reach in their pockets for a quick few rounds of Angry Birds as they pan it for being too artsy. I often wonder if films of this nature will slowly become extinct as our collective attention spans dwindle into the length of adorable-kitten videos on YouTube.

At any rate, this film propelled me into a rather pensive funk for the proceeding few days after seeing it. What ended up being so note-worthy was its unbelievably accurate depiction of how we remember our lives, and more specifically our childhood. Textures, smells, inconsequential moments, or snapshots of seeing the world when you were two feet tall. These moments bubble to the surface, often without too much context of what came before or after it, or even what age you were. ‘The Tree of Life’ plays out much in the same way. After the introduction of a 1950′s family grieving a loss, we are transported back in time…you know to the big bang. Upon witnessing the very formation of life itself, we eventually catch back up to what most would consider the main ‘plot line’ of this freeform existential journey. The film is visually astounding. I mean serious eye candy. Captured images of profound greatness. Do you get what I’m saying? Pop this one in after a nice bubble bath, or perhaps a few hours of meditation because this isn’t a film that’s gonna quiet a restless mind.

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8. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
directed by David Fincher

It’s not often phenomenal filmmakers have turn around time between films as quickly as Fincher. After releasing “The Social Network” in October 2010, he’s already back with his next project which slides snuggly in next to other Fincher classics like “Se7en“, “Fight Club“, “Zodiac“, and “Curious Case of Benjamin Button“. Yeah, this guy has certainly been busy making some of the greatest films of the last 10 years. It’s well known that ‘Dragon Tattoo’ is a remake of a 2009 Swedish film, leaving many to wonder just why the film is so necessary. While I more often than not join the rally of ‘leave great foreign films alone!’ (as I did when they remade the brilliant Swedish film “Let The Right One In“) I can’t help but make an exception if the film is helmed by a visionary director such as Fincher.

But enough about all that, this movie is badass. Rooney Mara as Lisbeth, the damaged and strong anti-heroine, glues your eyes to the screen and demands your attention in one of the years best performances. As far as tone goes, this mystery thriller focuses much of its drama on the slow unraveling of the murder mystery at its core and refrains from loud set-piece-destroying action sequences. It’s very much akin to Fincher’s more recent work of “Zodiac” and “The Social Network” where he has been seriously flexing his ‘make long dialogue scenes way more gripping then any standard action scene would be’. To top it off, his frequent cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth paints stunning visuals into each frame with his uncanny eye for visual perfection. Trent Reznor’s score is yet again a perfect pairing to the visuals, and keeps the sense of menace and dread up even when really all we’re watching is our main characters flip through old news articles and investigating every corner of a photograph. That is what filmmaking is all about.

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7. Submarine
written & directed by Richard Ayoade

OK, I can’t argue it. We’ve all seen a quirky coming-of-age love story before, however ‘Submarine’ manages to rise above its own framework to offer a comedy with outstanding characters, emotional depth, and a so-british-it-hurts style humor for the 2011 generation. The film sinks its teeth deep into the visual medium its presented in with a fresh and lively style. Consistent across the writing, cinematography, directing, and editing the film hits its tone so perfectly on all ends it becomes hard to not be swept away in its heightened reality. 15-year-old Oliver Tate is wise beyond his years, and his hilarious introspective internal rants give us a great sense of the depth of his character. Character is something this film packs in by the tons. Each player in this tale has a perfect array of flaws, quirks, and oddities that make each scene a joy to watch as more layers are peeled back. A classic love story told in an unconventional way. Its odds and ends make this an addicting watch.

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6. Hesher
directed by Spencer Susser

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what about this depraved dark comedy I found just so outrageously hilarious. In many ways, it’s the sum of its parts, but truly the comedy orbits the hysterically straight-faced performance of Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the aimless stoner metal-head deadbeat Hesher. His unapologetically don’t-give-a-flying-fuck attitude accidentally finds its way into a grieving family of three mourning the loss of mama-bear. It’s dark tone is played for laughs on just about every turn of the story, and does so without shame. Despite its mostly bleak tone, Hesher keeps things energetic and entertaining with seriously fantastic performances, killer writing, and well-rounded characters. Hesher is filmmaking turned up to 11. In fear of over-complicating things, it’s easiest to say: this film fucking rocks.

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5. Martha Marcy May Marlene
written & directed by Sean Durkin

Don’t call it a cult film. OK, you can if you want, but interestingly director Sean Durkin prefers that the misguided and reclusive group that begins molding Martha’s mind to do the ‘right’ thing unconditionally not be so attached to the classical definition of a ‘cult’. I think really what he’s getting at here is that “Martha Marcy May Marlene” is a ‘cult’ film without the over the top cheesy elements involved. Don’t expect any sacrificial lambs, speaking in tongues, and velvet robes in this one. This is a group that could very well exist in our modern world, and is unnervingly easy to see how someone in a vulnerable state of mind (i.e. Martha) could find solace and a sense of community among her new-found brothers and sisters. This is crucial in understanding just what makes “MMMM” so powerful and truly chilling. Powerhouse performances from Elizabeth Olsen as Martha as well as John Hawkes as Patrick, the ‘cult’ leader, make this a serious knockout of a feature-length directorial debut. The film is firmly grounded in reality, while Martha struggles to understand her own. smoothly transitioning between her life since escaping the cult and the deep-rooted memories from when she was still a part of it make you as the audience sometimes question what is a dream, memory, or is really happening. The audience is constantly trying to make sense of the events and what it will mean for Martha’s transition to life in our normal society. You never really know more than Martha, down to this brilliant film’s final frame.

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4. The Future
written & directed by Miranda July

Miranda July is odd. If you haven’t seen her video blog, watched her interviews, listened to her audio-stories/spoken word albums, or seen her debut feature “Me and You and Everyone We Know” (which along with ‘The Future’ she wrote, directed, and starred in) then it may be a bit hard to judge whether “The Future” is going to be your thing or not, but suffice to say it’s another addition perfectly in line with her off-kilter humor mixed with child-like wonder. In other words it’s brilliant. Describing the plot of the film actually doesn’t do much good in enhancing your understanding of what this film is truly about. Sure it involves love, modern-day dilemmas of technology, existential mid-life thoughts, and a talking cat – but really this film is more about then that. Absorbing the film into your mind offers you a rather insightful tale of…well…life. despite its abstracted fun-house mirror presentation, this film at its core is a grounded and relatable human story. Miranda July has often been discredited to just being ‘weird for weird’s sake’ but in truth what makes ‘The Future’ just so inciting is wondering just how it is that Miranda July is going to present the next scene. Her unique penchant for storytelling makes her work less about trying to figure out WHAT will happen next, but more so HOW it will happen. Call it weird, but I call it transcendent.

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3. Melancholia
written & directed by Lars Von Treir

‘A beautiful film about the end of the world’ is this films tagline, and there truly isn’t a better way to sum it up. When was the last time you saw a film about the end of the world that doesn’t show people rushing into stores to stock up on supplies, frantic newscasters warning people to stay inside, the Golden Gate Bridge being destroyed, impossible scientific experiments like lasers that can destroy asteroids without any debris entering earths atmosphere, or Bruce Willis. In Lars Von Trier’s (Antichrist, Dogville) latest film, he explores the real emotions of a handful of characters as they begin to come to terms with the fact that their lives, and the lives of all human beings on earth might soon be coming to an end. The uncertainty of the situation and the wide personalities of the four main characters here cast a relatable shadow in the audiences direction. Would you be the one to doubt it until the last minute? Accept it and enjoy your final moments? Panic and convince yourself there must be a way to stop it? Fantastic performances from Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg blended with the unmistakable cinema-verite style of Lars Von Trier’s eye as well as his latest obsession with super-slo-mo imagery make this film remarkably powerful and existential.

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2. Life in a Day
directed by Kevin MacDonald

It’s always refreshing when films are able to take you beyond the simple presentation of a story, and Life in a Day does just that while still remaining captivating and interesting. ‘Life in a Day’ essentially boils down to being a 95min video time capsule of what life was like for humans around the world on June 24th 2010. The result is both fascinating and deeply thought-provoking. Pieced together from thousands of clips that were submitted by people from around the world filming their day, this is a project unlike any other before it. By eliminating the arguably invasive film crew from this documentary, and handing the camera over to the subjects themselves (i.e. everyone on earth) we get undeniably candid and personal moments that would otherwise be stifled by a bunch of film dudes making sure the shot looks good on the other side of the room. When I say this film is beautiful, I’m not talking about the camerawork, lighting, or visual effects – I’m talking about the deep undercurrent of human feeling this film has sewn throughout its running time. In watching this film, you’re sure to find connections to your own life and raise some questions about how you’re living it. It’s an experience that will happen for those willing to open themselves up to it. This film rewards audience members who allow this film to absorb into their minds. It turns out it’s one of the most rewarding experiences that film has provided this year.

MY FULL REVIEW OF THIS FILM was published on TwitchFilm and The Evening Class.

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1. We Need to Talk About Kevin
directed by Lynne Ramsay

This film is impossibly twisted, unmistakably unsettling, and far beyond just ‘dark’. Often picking my ‘favorite’ films just comes down to the visceral feeling a film gives me. After all, a truly effective film is the kind of film that literally gives you chills, or overwhelming emotion that lingers hours, days, sometimes weeks upon seeing it. So it was a no-brainer for me to place “We Need to Talk About Kevin” firmly at the top after experiencing what can only be described as a ‘my skin is crawling’ moment during the closing credits. This film is NOT for everyone. For example: children, people interested in seeing movies to escape/feel good, or people who would not like to be aware of the irreversibly fucked-up scenario of raising a child that has serious psychological problems. So its audience is a little limited.

The deranged insanity of the demon-child in question ‘Kevin’ is actually played by three actors at different stages of his life. toddler, adolescent, and teen. While the adolescent Kevin does have the most screen time, it will undoubtedly be the teen Kevin (played by Ezra Miller) who will give you death-stares in your nightmares. In fact it’s not just his performance that stands out as exceptional, but his mother Eva (played by Tilda Swinton) as well. The complex emotions of Eva that drive the fractured narrative through its depraved story of the constant search for a normal life catapult this film into territory of universal fear and doubt of ones abilities as a human. It’s a rough ride for your psychological state, but this film is dementedly visceral and unmissable for anyone willing to stomach it.

It was last year that the band formed simply by deciding to bring some musical instruments up to my close family friend Chris Campbell’s property where he lives with his longtime girlfriend / partner in all things weird – Blake More. The property is just an acre, but loaded with inspiration and history (Check out tons of pictures HERE). They’ve converted what used to be a tool shed into a small home painted from floor to ceiling in loud colors complete with a cozy deck, a rustic feel, and complete with 2 flush toilets and plenty of hot water for their outdoor shower (for those skeptical of the sophistication of these lovable hippies). Among the property you’re sure to spot a retro full-size school bus which has been gutted of its seats and converted into a living space complete with a couch, fridge, stove, fireplace, cabinets, and a full size bed. Another testament to creative use of space the entire property evokes. Parked next to it is Blake More’s biodiesel art car, and near that is a small trailer painted a loud pink with a painted on black picket fence which is Blake’s walk-in closet. Further down the road is what can only really be described as a “Space Pod” – which you can sleep in, and at night will glow with its glow in the dark stars stuck to the inside. Finally, there is a giant shipping container parked at the top of their short road. Inside hold Chris’ drum kit (he’s in a couple local bands) and is nicely sound-proofed with carpet on the walls. Needless to say, the property is unlike anything you’ve seen before.

Throughout our 10 day stay last year – we constantly found musical inspiration and would quickly meet in the shipping container with a small digital recorder and work out the structure of a song – only to record a live take all together huddled around a well placed mic / recorder. It was unclear at the time if these were gonna be demos, just for fun, or simply a way to remember ideas, but the process continued day after day – to the point that we often would spend nearly the entire day inside – only to step out for food breaks. The songs we’re being written quickly with a focus on capturing the original energy from which they spawned. by the end of day 5 (when Aliyah had to leave to head back to civilization) Wilfred and I continued to patch some things up, mix the album, sort through the tons and tons of takes we had made, and finish a couple overdubs for the only track that would contain any overdubs – “For You“. We came out with 31 minutes of music and decided this was indeed an album. It was Family of Man’s first album which we decided to appropriately title “Inside The Box” referring to where it was all recorded.

You can listen and download our entire first album FREE below:

The spontaneity of the recordings is of course immediately apparent. several tracks were formed just from leaving the mic on during some late night jam sessions and later creating a structure by splicing things together on the laptop. Others were one time takes of songs we had only briefly planned out. And some were hammered out by simply doing takes over and over until we got one we were satisfied with. The common thread was these songs were never to be over-analyzed or too thought out. The motto became “just record it”.

Over the course of the last year – Wilfred and Aliyah would sprinkle my email inbox with acoustic songs they had crafted. The songs were rough GarageBand recorded demos that we would all share some brief thoughts on, and hope to one day record. Flash forward to just the beginning of this month, it was again time to go to Mendocino for our now annual trip. After 5 days of relaxing, we spent 5 days non-stop recording.

This currently untitled (but don’t be surprised if it ends up being called “Heads In The Sky” *hint hint*) album was a new approach of recording for us. Perhaps much more traditionally, we recorded base tracks that consisted of one but sometimes 2 or 3 elements of the song – and worked off that with overdubs much like how a more traditional in-studio album would be. Still using the same recorder in the same shipping container box with the same mindset – but these new techniques actually provided us with a way to offer a higher quality recording and a more well-mixed album.

Currently I’m still in the process of mixing the album, but in it’s current state it undoubtedly sounds like “The Family of Man” – just an evolved form. Perhaps the best way I can describe it is to use the words Wilfred used – it sounds like a old 50′s jukebox album dipped in acid. This batch of songs sound timeless in their arrangements and melodies but with a psychedelic edge that keeps things feeling fresh. Some draw from prohibition era music of the 20′s, while others from the doo-wop sounds of the 50′s. Formed primarily in our heads and through emails beforehand provided us with the ability to have a concrete feel of where these songs could go during the recording of them. Many took off to places we had not expected, while others stuck closely with their GarageBand demo counterparts. You will still find a couple of tracks on the album that are simply one live take with little to no overdubs, but fans of the first album I think will be in for a treat with the higher fidelity recordings contained on this album.

I know I speak for Wilfred and Aliyah when I say we cannot wait to release this album. It’s an exciting thing to be able to record an album and release it a month later – so the wait will not be long. If you want to keep up with all the announcements (title, tracklist, cover art, release date, etc.) as well as a short series of behind the scenes videos we took during recording – make sure to follow us on Facebook HERE!

-Dominic

It’s been a bit since I’ve updated about Nuclear Family – but the project continues to be my number one priority. Since the March 25th screening there have been a couple exciting things to have happened. Heres a nice quick-fire way to catch up:

April 23rd – Twitchfilm.com features an interview with me discussing the film (READ IT HERE)

After a lengthy discussion in a coffee shop in SF with film writer Michael Guillen, the interview was published to popular film site Twitchfilm.com

April 27th – Nuclear Family submitted to first film festival

it has since been submitted to a few other SF Bay Area prominent film fests. I won’t name names as to not jinx it.

May 24th – Nuclear Family now on IMDb (Check it out HERE)

Due to the submission process, Nuclear Family lands a page on IMDb!

June 1st – Brand new full-length trailer for Nuclear Family (Watch HERE or above)

A full length official trailer which reveals much more than the first ‘teaser trailer‘.

June 17th – A second FREE sneak peek screening of the film in SF (RSVP on Facebook HERE)

This will be the final screening of the film until it begins it’s festival run late this year.

So it’s once again the eve before a screening of “Nuclear Family”. I feel drastically different then I did before showing it the first time. For one, I’m not currently biting my nails with nerves about what people will think. Through the last couple months I’ve found a great deal of confidence with the film and personally cannot wait to show it a second (or third, or fourth…) time. This screening feels like another opportunity to let people see the film I’ve worked the hardest on and the one I feel most comfortable with. As I stated above, this is indeed the FINAL time I will be showing “Nuclear Family” publicly until it potentially makes it into the festival circuit this fall. There will be NO DVD RELEASE until sometime in 2012. This is simply because a DVD release disqualifies me from submitting to festivals. What all this means: If you wanna see “Nuclear Family” – this is gonna be your only for sure chance to see it until 2012.

FOR THOSE ATTENDING: make sure to show up early! I would suggest getting there around 6:30pm. The Viz is not large (seats about 150) and will fill up quick. At the previous screening it was full by 7pm – and this one is sure to be no different as there are more films and more people invited!  Here is all the info you’ll need:

WHERE: Viz Cinema – 1746 Post St, SF (between Laguna and Webster) CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS
WHEN: Friday June 17th 7pm-11pm
PRICE: FREE!

“Nuclear Family” will show with 6 other great short films – one of which, “Catch The Clock” (written and directed by Jaena Sta. Ana), is a film that I’ve been editing the last couple months. The film shares many of the same tonal qualities and themes as “Nuclear Family” so make sure to stick and around and check it out!

See you tomorrow!
-Dominic

Looking back on yesterday makes it feel like it was weeks ago. The anticipation and nerves before the screening made the day go by at a snail’s pace. As 7pm approached – the seats of the Viz Cinema began filling up extremely quick. By the time the films began the theater was completely filled and people were beginning to stand in the isles waiting eagerly to see the 5 short films of the night. From my end of things – my heart was racing, and I was clenching my plastic water bottle with extreme force. Yeah, I was pretty nervous.

The screening went on with a great crowd who was receptive to each film.

Between One and Two by Matt Rome – A love story of a couple who meet over the course of a night in SF
My Sherri by Carlo Barot – a twisted love tale almost void of dialogue. truly a visual film.
Forever, ATM by Wilfred Galila- A quirky tale of a man who falls in love with an ATM machine  and in the process learns how to feel again.
Keeping it Reel by Dana Shaw- Four legendary San Francisco filmmakers examine the art of filmmaking and debate digital technology’s affect on their craft.

After the other four fantastic short films, Nuclear Family began playing on the screen and I immediately felt the strange sense of nerves and excitement reach the boiling point. Watching the film on the big screen was an extremely exciting and overwhelming experience. The audience responded well to the film, and it was a fascinating experience to see how certain moments of the film played off the audience.

When the film finished up there was a Q&A session, which I was pretty nervous about, but after a few questions was able to calm down and give more in-depth answers to the questions. Got asked things like where the film was shot, how many days it took to shoot, techniques I used for working with actors, the process from script to finished product, and if the film was autobiographical. After the Q&A I was able to talk with people on an individual basis about the film, and received a great amount of feedback about the film.

Last night was one of the best nights of my life. This movie is the closest to my heart of all my films, and to finally be able to share it with others is what I’ve wanted even since beginning to chart out the characters back in Summer 2009.  It was inspiring to see so many people there, and receive so much positive feedback about the film. It makes me eagerly await the opportunity to create my next film.

For those unable to make it last night, there will be future opportunities to see the film. Most likely the next one will be in Mid-June. Check back to this blog for all the updates along the way. Last night is simply the first step to getting this film to the eyes of as many people as possible.

IF YOU ATTENDED THE SCREENING and would like to rate the film from 1-5 stars and optionally write a short review of the film – I strongly encourage you to do so. Simply click HERE and let people know what you thought!

-Dominic Mercurio

There’s no need to remind me this film is finally going to be seen for the very first time tomorrow. Dreams of the screening have been frequent the last few days as the big night approaches. Is it nerves? Excitement? Relief? The truth is it’s all of those things. This project, quite simply, represents over a years worth of work from conceptualizing characters in the Fall of 2009, to writing outlines in January 2010, to finishing the script in Summer 2010, casting in Fall, shooting in Winter, and editing / post-production until…well a couple days ago.

Up until this friday only people directly involved with the production have seen any footage (beyond of course the online TRAILER). I’ve always been rather protective of people seeing my films until they are complete, and this film has been no exception. Friday’s screening will also be the ONLY time to see this film until June. I do not plan on releasing the film online or DVD until at least late this year. The film will be submitted to festivals around the US immediately following Fridays showing.

Nuclear Family runs at 28min and was shot completely in the SF Bay Area with the Canon 7D – the buzzed camera of the current Digital Filmmaking Evolution. The film was truly made out of love for the craft of Filmmaking as both the cast and crew were paid only in pizza. Because of this extremely generous donation of time and talent, the film features high production value and quality performances while keeping the production-budget under $500. I feel very thankful to the amount of help and support the project was given from my fellow classmates and friends at The Art Institute of CA – SF. It’s always difficult for someone who hasn’t made a film to understand just how much work goes into it – and if it weren’t for the amazing cast and crew this film just wouldn’t have turned out like it has.

This anxious feeling due to Friday’s screening reminds me most of how I felt just before screening my feature-length film “WE HEART ELIE“. That film as well represented a large amount of time (over 2 years). That screening back in December of 2008 resulted in one of the best nights of my life. Quite simply – this is why I make films. The feeling of showing a representation of ideas, thoughts, images, and sound compiled and crafted meticulously into one solid, unchanging form has always been what drives me to completing each film project I do. It’s the audience. It’s the communication that can be shared from me to you. It’s you.

I hope you enjoy it.
-Dominic Mercurio

RSVP and get all the details of the screening of “Nuclear Family” HERE

Wilfred Galila

Wilfred answered some questions about the process of creating the ‘look’ of Nuclear Family, working with the Canon 7D, and the state of Digital Filmmaking:

Q: How would you describe the look of “Nuclear Family”?

The look of Nuclear Family is one of decadence that is almost devoid of soul. It is a watercolor sketch of the story that is told.

Q: How was this ‘look’ achieved?

It was achieved in different stages and through other cinematic elements such as production design and wardrobe. The house that was used as the location amazingly had the right color palette that worked to our full advantage. Dominic, who wrote and directed it, wanted some sort of desaturated look with a certain amount of contrast. By shooting it with this direction in mind and doing the appropriate color correction during post production we were able to achieve this look.

Q: Describe your process for conceptualizing how you were to visually approach this film.

By painting with watercolor in my mind. The frame is a piece of paper and the images appearing on it are, in some parts opaque and some parts transparent as with the consistency of mixing pigment with water.

Q: What thoughts and/or emotions motivated you during the creation of these images?

Watercolor as it is being absorbed on paper.

Q: How was your experience working with the Canon 7D?

Working with the Canon 7D was an interesting experience. I have worked with it on another project prior to shooting Nuclear Family and have become used to it since then. I’ve enjoyed filming with it and would use it again. At first I had to get used to shooting a moving image with a still camera. Not that this process was something that was entirely new to me. It also included getting used to the shape of the camera. I have been used to shooting moving images with cameras specifically made for shooting motion pictures. It was a paradigm shift.

Q: What was your favorite scene to shoot?

The usual answer would be that I enjoyed shooting the whole film and while this is true, there are a couple of scenes that come to mind right away because they were also, at the same time, an adventure. One is the opening scene in the car. We shot this with a mount for the camera that we stuck to the hood of the car using the suction cups that came with it. I have never done this before and I thought to myself that with a camera that size, I guess suction cups would suffice. We shot the master shot and a couple of close ups of this scene in several takes. The car with the actors and the camera stuck to its hood followed another car where I was with my camera operator riding in its open trunk. During every take we would try not to imagine the camera falling off the hood of the car. That car mount rig worked really well in the end. Another scene is the one that involved non-human subjects in the form of a beetle and a caterpillar and Dominic has already told this story before.

Q: Has this project offered any new challenges to you as a Cinematographer?

Yes, the challenge of coming up and achieving the look that is specific to this film.

Q: What is your take on the current Digital Revolution of Cinema?

I do not know if we should call it a revolution if what it means is to revolt. To revolt against what? A certain medium of telling our stories? Then we would just be revolting against our heritage. If what is meant by this revolution is a change in ways then I would rightfully call it the Digital Evolution. We are evolving in our ways of telling our stories through the medium of the moving image. Advancements in technology have given us access to an alternative medium. A medium that is also readily available to anyone who can afford to buy the equipment. Just as oil paint in tubes made painting accessible to the masses or roll film made photography available to everyone. We do have to remember that these are just media that are at our disposal and that the plethora of choices that is available to everyone does not make the entire planet full of Picassos nor does the accessibility and supposed easy nature of digital filmmaking has spawned a million Kubricks. On the other hand, and this can be the only thing that is worthy of the term revolution, this accessibility to the digital medium, including the internet, has freed the storyteller from the clutches of the powers that be that regulate the stories and dreams that each and everyone of us could potentially share and have access to. Finally real stories can be told and a myriad of dreams can be shared. Whether the medium is film, digital video, or, possibly in the future, holography; as we evolve with our ways of telling our stories it should always hearken back to our purpose of sitting around the fire to listen, to see, and gain insights into what it is to be a human being.

Q: Having seen a close-to final cut of the film, do you have a favorite shot and/or scene from the film visually speaking?

I really like, what I would call, the cerebral interludes of the main character in the film. The juxtaposition and layering of images that instantly makes sense.

Still from "Nuclear Family"

WHAT – “The Moving Picture Show” A Screening of Short Films
WHERE – Viz Cinema in San Francisco 1746 Post Street (between Laguna and Webster)
WHEN – March 25th from 7pm-9pm
PRICE -  FREE!

'Viz Cinema' Theater in SF

Just a matter of a couple weeks now from the very first opportunity for you to see “Nuclear Family”. Over on the left there is a picture of the Venue. It looks a bit like a space shuttle – but I promise you that is actually how it looks. It’s pretty cool. Also their toilets clean you. If you’re into that.

The film has also just recently reached picture lock, meaning no further adjustments will be made to the edit of the picture. It’s now in Sound and Color world. Simon Raistrick is heading up the Sound Mix, Director of Photography Wilfred Galila is handling the Color Correction, and I am working on the Sound Design. The last couple weeks have been pretty hectic, but little things from various friends helping me on Post-Production have all been coming together in a really fluid way. There’s a couple small visual effects shots one that is a practical effect done with milk and food coloring from Dana Shaw – and another is a digital effect done by Jerome Chagnon that is a screen replica of an iPhone. You probably wouldn’t even know it was an effect if I hadn’t said that.

For those of you following the film on Facebook – you’ve probably already seen the Facebook Event page with all the details, but this is an exciting night for several reasons. The film will be premiering alongside 4 other short films made by some good friends of mine that have been alongside me through the post-production process giving me valuable critique and advice. All of the films are fantastic productions utilizing the digital revolution of cinema by using the Canon 7D and it will make for a great celebratory night of SF film. If you’d like to get to know a bit about the films check them out on Facebook:

FOREVER, ATM directed by Wilfred Galila
KEEPING IT REEL directed by Dana Shaw
BETWEEN ONE AND TWO directed by Matthew Rome
MY SHERRI directed by Carlo Barot (no Facebook yet)

I really hope to see you all there. This film has been my focus for more then a year now and I simply can’t wait to start letting people see it. Also I want to stress that this will be the one and only time to see this film until at LEAST June 2011, so please get out and support Independent Cinema on March 25th! It’s FREE after all.

Kyle Bobby Dunn

It was only after beginning casting that I finally found that artist – or really the artist found me. At the time I was doing a weekly music blog that featured reviews of new albums – and NY minimalist / ambient / orchestral-drone composer Kyle Bobby Dunn sent me his album for review. I loaded it up in iTunes and saw this was a 2 hour double-album. Daunting. I slipped on my headphones, and about 2 hours later it became apparent this was the music for my film. I wrote the review (you can read it HERE) and later contacted him about the idea of me using his music in my upcoming film.

It’s with great excitement that I can tell you now that tracks from Kyle Bobby Dunn’s 2LP “A Young Persons Guide To…” and his EP “Rural Route No. 2” make up nearly the entire soundtrack of the film. Below you can listen to several tracks from his album. Almost all of these songs make an appearance in “Nuclear Family”:

While Kyle Bobby Dunn makes up almost the entire soundtrack of the film, I wanted a slightly different mood for the credits. Upon playing around with some songs I found the ideal candidate to match the mood of the ending.The film’s credits song is from one of my favorite local SF bands Honeycomb. Honeycomb is a fantastic orchestral-folk group that plays some truly incredible live shows around SF and beyond with a very distinct sound. Front-woman Emily Ritz has graciously allowed the song “Flesh and Bone Machine” to be used from their excellent self-titled debut EP. Here is a live in-studio version of the track:

I cannot be happier about this selection as both artists were my first choice. Music in film is something I focus a lot of thought into, as I am of the belief music can make or break the mood and emotion of a film. Some of my favorite cinematic moments have very much to do with the marriage of visuals and music in a unique and interesting way and I am always very cautious when approaching how music is used in my own films because of this. I am hoping the selections for “Nuclear Family” help elevate the film to a place where the audience can feel as Marc feels. Distant, Contemplative, and Layered.

Don’t forget to “like” the film on Facebook to continue to get all the updates on the film as we near the first screening on March 25th!

Joe Stricker as Marc Benheimer

Here we are, the final CHARACTER PROFILE will focus on the main character of Nuclear Family – Marc Benheimer (to read the others here is Ezra, Henry, and Melany). Main characters are often the first piece of the puzzle when writing a film, and Marc was no exception. Marc is the center and heart of this story. He is 17 years old and born into the upper class world that the rest of his family embraces with open arms and credit accounts. Marc, however,feels a large emotional disconnect from his family. His interests and overall perspective of life have grown to be drastically different from theirs. Longing to live a more grounded, less materialistic and artistically focused life – Marc has simply found himself to be a fish out of water. It’s not surprising then that Marc has just shut down around his family and focused on living his life through the transportive qualities of music. When the story of “Nuclear Family” kicks off the family has just suffered a loss of a family member. While the rest of Marc’s family grieves by distracting themselves by buying material objects, it becomes clear that Marc is quite possibly the only one REALLY grieving.

The origins of this character stem out of my own feelings of the upper class lifestyle. Many times when creating the character I asked myself what I would do if I were born into the upper class. I am far from rich, but have known a few people who are extremely rich quite personally and it has always seemed to me there is more problems that stem from having too much then having too little. When you have everything at your fingertips, why would feel the need to work for anything? Marc serves as the bridge between this family and the audience who primarily will not be as rich as the characters in the film. For the part of the audience that IS as rich as these characters, I hope Marc, and the story of “Nuclear Family” as a whole, will help them to see another perspective of some of the negative side effects of having all the “things” you want but losing touch with life and even with your own family.

Still from "Nuclear Family"

Often when I make characters It’s only after they’re finished that I begin to see where I placed pieces of my personality into them. Much was the case with Marc’s need to have time by himself and his deep interest in music – along with other traits. I am a musician along with being a filmmaker and have always found it to be a medicinal artistic expression – and only got into music by obsessively listening to it when I was younger and banging on my brothers drums along with my favorite songs. Whereas I had an opportunity to explore my connection with music – Marc has never been given the platform to do so.

Casting for this role was rather strange. The character only has 3 lines in the entire film. I knew this role would need someone willing to portray an introverted character almost solely through facial expressions and body language. It’s said that the majority of communication is made through body language – and this role really puts that to the test. Joe took this challenge and really ran with it. On set it was clear he didn’t see the lack of lines as a reason to slack off – but rather to read into whats really going on in Marc’s mind at any given moment in the story. Joe’s performance is something I’m very excited to get audience reactions to. Acting is too often perceived as delivery of lines, and I hope this role will show the other side of that coin. Joe plays a 17 year old in this film, but is actually 23 years old. This was actually a huge plus. It meant that we could talk about the role from a perspective of not actually still being a teenager but being able to understand the motivations from an outside lens. In between takes Joe felt like part of the crew. He shared a lot of common ground with all of us and it kept things really comfortable and open on set which helped us all be able to have fun while making the film.

I asked Joe Stricker some questions about portraying Marc Benheimer, along with his experience working on “Nuclear Family“:

Q. What drew you initially to the role? Is this different from most roles you’ve received?

JOE: When I saw this project posted I was interested in being a part of a very stiff, conservative family. My parents are very liberal/hippy San Franciscans that have always been very encouraging and chill with whatever I want to do so Mr. and Mrs Benheimer are completely different from my family in that regard. I was excited to find out what it would be like growing up in an ultra-suppressive environment. I’ve been playing a lot of angsty, suppressed teenagers lately in films… I think I found my type!

Q. What were your first impressions of the script / story?

JOE: My first impression of the story was that it was going to be difficult to pull off. It’s one thing to simply make a film about a screwed up family and a suppressed teenager, but to create that dysfunctional world and then resolve it, at least partially, in a different light is ambitious. This is what I am hoping we accomplished.

Q. How would you describe your character? Any similarities to yourself or someone you know that you found to draw on?

JOE: I think Marc is a late bloomer. He is still figuring out who he is and what he is passionate about. He finds an energy and potency in music that is completely lacking in his own life. Though he is not yet sure of himself, he is confident that he wants to incorporate the same vitality he hears in music into his world. I definitely can relate to Marc’s love for music as I am a musician and find great joy and relief in music. I believe that if everyone in the world at the same time experienced the same inspiration I experience in 2-3 minutes of a really (really) good song the world would be better off. I think Mark is also trying to share his musical experience with the world.

Q. Did you do any special preparation for the role?

JOE: I watched Little Miss Sunshine again before we started filming just to see how actor Paul Dano played a similar character to Mark. I then thought about ways Mark exists in silence. Even though Mark is quiet, he is not indifferent to the world. He actively thinks, listens, and forms his own opinions even if he isn’t voicing them.

Q. What was your favorite scene to act out? Did you expect it to be your favorite based on the script?

JOE: The dinner scene was my favorite scene to act out which I was not expecting. I thought everyone was really able to get into the “meat” of his or her character. This scene made me realize how much of the individual manifests itself in words, gestures, and style of eating around a dinner table. As a result, everyone’s colors came out and we were able to create an almost unbearable amount of tension.

Q. What was your favorite moment on set?

JOE: My favorite moment on set was also the dinner scene. I naturally like to joke around and laugh over awkward situations, and the dinner scene was no exception. Eating in quiet angst for so long I usually had to laugh off the tension during the breaks between shots. Sometimes James and I could not help breaking out of character if we looked at each other for too long during one of our arguments.

Q. How was your overall experience working on “Nuclear Family“?

JOE: I had a lot of fun working on “Nuclear Family.” I am the same age as the rest of the crew members and it felt good to be around a lot of people my age also doing their best to make it in film. All my friends back on the East Coast and at home all have corporate jobs and this project served as a great reminder that there are others out there like me with creative ambitions. I’m sure I will see and hear a lot more from many of the crew and cast in the coming years.

Joe Stricker in Nuclear Family