LAist at the Santa Barbara Film Festival - Take 2

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One of the best things about attending a festival isn't the films you get to see, but the industry panels the organizers assemble to give the public a glimpse into the inner workings of show business. On Saturday in Santa Barbara I was lucky enough to attend two dynamite panels. The first featured producers from five of 2008's most lauded films (The Dark Knight, Wall-E, Milk, Slumdog Millionaire and Rachel Getting Married. Moderated by Patrick Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times, it was a rollicking peek into a largely hidden world.

First out of the gate was Englishman Christian Colson, who was asked to address numerous, recent reports that the production had paid its child actors a relative pittance for their (amazing) performances in Slumdog Millionaire. Colson's response -- probably closely vetted by his legal team and publicist -- was that the children had not only been paid for their thirty days of acting, but had also been sent to school for the first time in their lives and had been included in a trust that would pay them another sum of money when they came of age.

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The exchange between Goldstein and Colson was fascinating because it explicitly raised what is often a tricky and necessary challenge for a producer: how do you get the most for the least amount of money? When you're talking about scoring a good deal on a sound stage or grip package the scenario is fairly straightforward -- get the absolute lowest price and damn the consequences. Dealing with illiterate children in an Indian ghetto who would work for virtually nothing is an altogether different subject, however.

One would assume that the producers of Slumdog Millionaire expected such attention would eventually come (and would make fair fiduciary arrangements in advance). Certainly, at least based on Colson's testimony, that appears to be the case. But then again, producers are skilled at obfuscating the truth so we'll have to see if this story develops any further. I was disappointed that Goldstein didn't press the point more firmly. Producers are loathe to give out dollar figures, but sometimes even getting a non-answer is getting an answer.

Another insightful exchange occurred when Goldstein queried long-time Industrial Light & Magic visual effects fixture (and first-time producer of Wall-E) Jim Morris about the nature of development at Pixar. While the rest of the producers on the panel complained about the tough and labyrinthine process required to get a studio greenlight, Morris almost nonchalantly described the same process at Pixar: we decide we want to do the movie; we come up with a standard budget (usually defined as 10,000 man-weeks); and then we just do it.

I was struck by his casual response because -- let's face it -- Pixar is consistently making some of the best films in the world. I found it telling that they were experiencing that level of success in an environment where risk management hadn't taken over the development process. As Morris told it, at Pixar John Lasseter has the power to greenlight a picture at budgets that soar over the hundred million dollar mark. Despite those huge sums, Lasseter's first instinct is to trust his creative team and let them do their jobs. And it works!

Chuck Roven brought a unique set of credentials to the panel. In 2008 alone, he produced the year's unchallenged box office champ (The Dark Knight), another hugely budgeted blockbuster (Get Smart) and one of the better indie flicks of the year (The Bank Job). Despite his obvious studio credentials, Roven spent much of the time talking about the intricate set of financing hoops he had to jump through to get The Bank Job on its feet. Like most independent productions, the film's financing would rely on a complex series of tax incentives.

Unfortunately, at the time that The Bank Job was ready to roll those tax laws were still being hashed out as legislation. Ultimately, Roven and star Jason Statham would have to defer their fees for awhile so that the film could be shot. Roven's overarching point was how such tax programs had become an absolute necessity in the independent film business. There is a general idea in the public mind that indies are financed by large pockets looking to venture their capital. In reality, it's now government subsidies that fuel the engine.

Neda Armian (producer, Rachel Getting Married) was probably the liveliest and lengthiest talker of the group. She explained in detail the almost impossibly complicated production of Rachel Getting Married. The film's cast was comprised of a central core of actors who were surrounded by many dozens of non-actors. Now the core actors certainly spoke their lines from the script, but director Jonathan Demme encouraged the non-actors to speak up at will so that the main actors could respond in a surprised and organic manner.

She described the rehearsal dinner as an interrupted, unrehearsed forty-minute take shot with multiple cameras (some even held and passed around by the actors). The various camera men would often run into each other on the set. They would even continue rolling after Demme had called cut on the set (several instances of completely unrelated dialogue would make their way into the final edit). All in all, it sounded like a majestically staged play that worked wonderfully despite being unruly and almost entirely unplanned.

Dan Jinks (producer, Milk) was the final member of the panel. One of the anecdotes he shared regarded the old Castro Camera shop that Harvey Milk himself opened in 1972. Milk closed the shop in 1976 and gentrification had long since removed any sign of it. Nevertheless, the producers of the film and director Gus Van Sant wanted to use the actual shop instead of building a set so they approached the current owners of the space and offered them a three-month vacation to Hawaii which was accepted.

The production design team went to work returning the space to its 70s-era glory (right down to the red leather couch). Eventually, they would almost perfectly reproduce Castro Camera. Since many of Milk's friends from the 70s still lived in San Francisco, they would often come by to visit the restored set. As Jinks described it, the set version of Milk's shop became almost a shrine to those who had been there in its original incarnation. Jinks was still clearly moved as he related how so many of Milk's friends would come by and simply cry.

The Producers Panel ended around 1 pm so I quickly sneaked off to Spice Avenue to grab a quick buffet lunch. I was back within half an hour and ducked back into the Lobero Theater to prepare for the Women in Film Panel. Like the panel before it, this one featured an impressive array of professionals representing films like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frozen River, Milk, Appaloosa and Australia. The panel was moderated by Madelyn Hammond of Variety and began promptly at two with a huge round of applause.

Courtney Hunt (writer/director, Frozen River) was certainly the funniest and most vivacious of the group. Her story about getting her film off the ground was as inspiring as it was unlikely. Hunt had virtually no filmmaking experience when she began the process of getting Frozen River started. Attending the Sundance Film Festival, she saw a performance by Melissa Leo that so captivated her that she -- a relative novice -- approached Leo and told her she had to be in her movie about illegal alien trafficking across the Canadian border.

Of course, Hunt had no money or experience, but Leo agreed. That may have been the best decision she ever made since Leo -- previously a little-known character actress -- now sports an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Of course, that almost didn't happen. Hunt related a horror story that many small productions fear. Due to financial constraints, they couldn't see dailies every day. One day while looking at several days of work, they realized there was an audible hiss on every take! Luckily, the problem was able to be fixed.

Jacqueline West (costume designer, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) told a funny horror story of her own. For those who have seen the film, you will recall the scene where Daisy dances for Benjamin while wearing an immaculate red dress. After reading the script, West decided that the dress had to be red so she ordered up a bolt of silk from which to sew it. The silk arrived in white instead of red. No problem, she thought, I'll just dye the dress red which she summarily did. Blanchett, naturally loved the dress (it's a great dress).

Only one problem, though: director David Fincher hates the color red and doesn't want it in any of his films (watch a couple of his flicks and you'll see example after example of his signature steely blue/gray palette). When West was informed of this and informed Blanchett that they couldn't use the dress, Cate marched right up to Fincher and demanded that they be allowed to use the red dress. I guess no man can really say no to Cate Blanchett so he agreed with the sly caveat that he could just change it in post (he didn't).

Dody Dorn (editor, Australia), Ginger Sledge (producer, Appaloosa) and Barbara Munch (set decorator, Milk) spent the most time discussing the difficult role that women face (and more to the point, faced) in the male-dominated film industry. All continually came back to a common point that is worth sharing for anyone who's not completely happy with what they're doing in life: decide what you want to do and then do it. Realize that no else is going to do it for you. Realize it is immensely difficult. But do what you want.

All in all, it was a long and rewarding day at the festival. Santa Barbara has closed up shop for another year, but I would encourage anyone attending a future film festival to not get too caught up seeing as many films as possible and make time for the panels, too. In only a few short months, the sprawling Los Angeles Film Festival will unspool in Westwood. Considering the proximity of talent, I'm certain that they will have excellent panels available to the public. Give them a shot. You won't regret it.