Quick Q & A with the San Bernardino Sun

in
Here is a little Q & A i did about knock. knock. screening at the Smogdance Film Festival. Its towards the end of the article...

http://www.sbsun.com/ci_8058838?source=most_emailed

Or if your really lazy... let me copy and paste.

_______________________________________________________________________

"This article was written by Diana Sholley for the San Bernardino Sun on 1-23-08"

Q & A with Amir Motlagh

Motlagh's 20-minute comedy, "knock, knock," is the filmmaker's third showing in the Smogdance Film Festival. The Los Angeles resident talks here a bit about his work and the festival.

Q: What is your film, "knock, knock," about?

A: "A comedian starts to experience some fame on an Internet comedy show. During a taping of an episode, his ex-girlfriend knocks on his door. The two have unresolved issues that start to unravel concerning people, egos and various influences that get in the way of communication."

Q: What was your inspiration?

A: "I wanted to try something more narrative - film a comedy piece in a more nontraditional way. The comedy comes from the characters, especially the main character's awkwardness and neuroses. It's a low-key comedy in the form of naturalism."

Q: What do you hope people will take away from your film?

A: "I would like it if people leave behind their preconceived notions of how audiences usually see film. Let the experience just happen to you. It's not made in the Hollywood tradition, it's not spoon-fed. It's all about life itself in terms of character."

Q: What keeps bringing you back to Smogdance?

A: "It's local and it's a festival that feels like it's family-run. The quality of works entered keeps getting better and better."

updates far left behind...but good news

in
So, the film known as "whale" is officially cut. Just finished picture lock (although, you never really know). It is now in sound design. I am pleased. It is what i always wanted it it become. A trailer should be up very shortly.

Whats the film about? Let me see real. OK...
" An Iranian American writer quickly approaching 30 returns back to his mothers house in the suburbs of Irvine California, unexpectedly, with a broken heart, a never ending manuscript and a few telephone numbers from his old life."

Other News:
1. knock. knock. plays at the Smogdance Film Festival in late January. More details TBA.

2. My Untitled 35mm film (Plain Us?) was shot a month ago. Should be ready for viewing in April hopefully.

-It was shot once again by Zamir Kokonozi who captured knock. knock.
-It stars Kindy Barr and a lovely 6 year old named Nadia. I'm in there somewhere.
-Also in the film is Kristen Penza, Josh Virnick, Rami Dogma, Art Toussi (Shanks and the Dreamers), and Tom O'Connell who was also the production designer for the film.

3. I have finally put together my recording studio. It is done. Shanks and the Dreamers have been busy recording a new album. Should be ready before summer 08. This is much different then the first album, well, because its not an instrumental album to say the least.

4. Been filming Micro on and off....

5. I am alive.

feature film done, plus two

in ,
I'm finished with my first narrative feature(whale, although the title might change), but  this is where it gets kind of tricky.

I can't release it yet. Why you ask, well, because i shoot another film in about a month tentatively titled "Plain Us" which is a 20+ min. short and pre production has been exhausting(last short in a long long time).
Also in the mean time, i have been filming "Micro" which is my second fictional feature during the past two months as it is an ongoing project.

They will be released in this order, mind you all the titles are tentative.  Whale (Dec), Plain Us (March), and Micro (May).

This is a trilogy of sorts.  They are all related. Its not a sequential thing, and yes, they are all certainly independent from one another in all aspects but in the grand scheme of things, there paths cross.  I don't really want to talk about it more then that, but i'm excited anyways.  Its a cumlative effort

It seems i've been MIA for a while, but i have never been busier artistically then right now and i guess that keeps me from the promoting aspect.

I'll see you guys in a little over a month.

This was taken from Chris Manz's myspace blog promoting my latest film knock. knock. from a guy who was in the movie.

in ,

-Note:  This is not my writing.  I am copying and pasting only.  Permission was granted. 


"Knock. Knock." and why it's kind of like "The Chris Manz Show"


Ok, so in the past I have used this blog as a place to post little improvised stories of varying quality. But today I am going to use it like it is intended to be used, to promote an art project thing that I worked on. I'm talking to you about "Knock. Knock.", a film that I wrote and starred in, and which is just now starting to hit the film festival circuit (or has at least been sent out into it). I'm going to conduct this thing in an interview format, and sort of rip-off one of my past (more popular) blog entries called "Dialogue of the Chris Manz's". Time to begin...

First a setting. This interview is to take place in my house (for a visual reference please refer to the most recently added picture in my myspace picture section, where I am standing up wearing an "Art Ensemble of Chicago" t-shirt, and looking off into space planning my next move (which was to go into the kitchen to eat something, if I remember correctly)). Now in this room there shall be two Chris's. One Chris will be sitting at the piano located in the back of the picture (where the book of BACH MASTERPIECES is displayed, ready at all times to have the 2 simplest preludes of the well-tempered clavier performed). This seated chris will be the interviewer. The other Chris will stand up kind of like how I am in the picture, but probably face more towards the Chris who is seated at the piano (rather than away).

Chris (seated at the piano): So, Chris. What is this "Knock. Knock." thing?
Chris: Well it's a movie that I developed with director Amir Motlagh--
Chris: Is he a good director?
Chris: Yes. And you will find that out when you watch the film. I have a copy here and I will show it to you after we finish the interview.
Chris: Ok, who else was involved in this film?
Chris: Well it also features two wonderful performances by Keaton Shyler who plays a character named "Carla" (my ex-girlfriend in the film), and Lene Pederson who plays "Sharon" (a guest on my show). It was produced by Chris Otteson, edited by Rick Curnutt, and was co-produced by (and features a production design by) Tom O'Connell, who frequently works on the Chris Manz show.
Chris: Ok, now you say that Keaton plays an ex-girfriend and Lene is a guest on your show. What does that mean? Do you mean it's like your internet show?
Chris: It's a lot more narrative than that, and a bit more glossy. It's loosely based off of the idea of the Chris Manz show (and to further confuse things the internet show that appears in the film is called the Chris Manz Show) but the story is totally made up and NOT auto-biographical, even though the character I play has my same name.
Chris: So do you have an enormous ego then? Why do you play a character named after yourself in this film? Why do you have a show named after yourself?
Chris: Actually Amir worked with me on some of the development of the script, and when he cast me in it, he said he wanted me to go by real name. He likes to blur fiction and reality in his films, and by making these choices, he achieves that in "Knock. Knock." In terms of the show, I wouldn't say that I have a very high self-esteem, but not so much a low one either. And the show wasn't even my idea originally, but my friend's. I guess it's kind of like therapy. Just learning to be comfortable with myself, and learning to talk to other people and to not be afraid of that.
Chris: So what happens in this movie?
Chris: Well there isn't really a story to it. I mean there is in that it feels like a narrative film, but all of the events in it just kind of happen in a very intuitive manner. Much of my past work has been totally non-narrative, experimental, very stylized, and much more about image and sound relationships (or textual). There is a hint of some of that in this, but not much (although the film does truly achieve an original feel, and perhaps story). And it just seeks to capture that awkward feeling of making peace with an ex-lover, and sometimes revisiting that, and how things are always changing, are more funny than we realize, and how it's really hard to control everything, or something like that…
Chris: I don't really get that last part—in terms of what you are trying to say—
Chris: Sorry… I'm not totally sure what the movie is about. I'm just saying that it definitely succeeds at something. It does capture certain feelings. And many people have responded pretty favorably to it. But it's really in poor taste to list the types of praise your work receives…
Chris: So it has received praise?
Chris: Some. But like I said, I'm not going to talk about that.
Chris: So is this film LIKE other films? What are some cinematic reference points?
Chris: Not that "Knock. Knock." is on the same level, but there are some elements of early Godard, a bit of Woody Allen, also some of that guy who did "In the Mood for Love."
Chris: Wong Kar-Wai?
Chris: Yeah, but I still haven't watched a full movie of his yet.
Chris: ...Because you're against Chinese cinema?
Chris: No! Nothing like that. I just don't really like contemporary films, and so I see very few of them. Hopefully my position will change. I hear a lot about how good he is. But that new movie he did with the girl who thinks she is a jazz singer (on the pop radio stations) didn't seem to fair to well, from what I have read...
Chris: Well, I haven't seen it myself, so I can't really comment. Ok, I guess we're getting towards the end of the interview. Anything else you'd like to add?
Chris: Well, just go see "Knock. Knock." For what it is, there's nothing about it that I would change (and the same has been said from everyone else who was involved with it). And it works! Yes it has a story and characters, but it is fun to watch and it really has some "real" elements in it. Also, stay tuned for more Chris Manz shows. And if you like the Chris Manz show (or even if you hate the Chris Manz show) you might very well like "Knock. Knock."
Chris: And I guess I'm going to go ahead and watch it right now, right? You said you were going to show me a copy after the interview...
Chris: Yeah, let me go get it. See if you can find the remote to the TV if you can.
Chris: What does it look like?
Chris: It's gray, has buttons... You know, like a remote.

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=KmvYGpQrojk[/youtube]

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=Zl6JQ5qci0E[/youtube]

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=fVio9OC3CPc[/youtube]

Shanks on CdBaby now and pre orders sold out on Amazon

in
So, thanks for the love. Now, if you haven't gotten the little album "A Day Late", you now can purchase it at CD BABY here http://cdbaby.com/cd/shanksdreamers

So now you have choices. Amazon doesn't have samples yet, but CDBABY does, but i'm sure your credit card info is at Amazon. Choices choices, the little guy, or your familiar boss?

Purchase at Amazon below, or CD BABY above.....

A Day Late: Instrumentals for Illegal Aliens

Promo video for the film Knock. Knock.

in
So this is the promo video we did for my new film knock. knock. I introduce the bit, then Chris Manz and Keaton Shyler talk about their experience on the film (ie: watching clips and discussing them). This video was originally going to be a Chris Manz Show episode but the tape was eaten by a shark, hence my intro.

Also, this video highlights the complex relationships between actor and dictator, oh no, i meant director.

Either way, hope you find it amusing.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVio9OC3CPc[/youtube]

whale updates and i few other things

in
Well, what can i say, other than, it is getting done. I believe that the film will be ready before July is up, but really ready in August. I will start posting the trailers and teasers(a series of them) in the upcoming weeks.

In other news, i start production on my new feature "Micro", in a few days. I will say very little of this, until a good time has passed.

And thanks to the support, the Shanks album is doing pretty well on Amazon. If you haven't but wanted to own one, i will provide you with this link.

Music video from early 07

in
So i directed this music video in early 07. It was produced by Zoobaz Media, edited by Hoss Sarbaz, shot by me. The actress is Kindy Barr, who is also in my upcoming feature film whale.

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=5WA0xBQTtnA[/youtube]

an instructional hip hop dance video for sucka ass m**********s

in
Yes, that was the title. Video art has many facets. The question then becomes, is this art at all? I would argue yes, but then again i took the time to make it. Also, i think its an absurd piece, and one has to question the makers responsibility in its presentation. It was shot on lo-fi mobile video in early 2006. The main man is Rif Raf Rickey, he knows who he is, but has become ashamed of his involvement ever so light-heartedly, so we created an alter persona. Was this a form of exploitation then? Is this all a trick?

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=882tX6FkkbM[/youtube]

pre order my new shanks album

in
You can go and pre-order the Shanks and the Dreamers albumA Day Late: Instrumentals for Illegal Aliens. I arranged and composed the tracks, so do it, above all else, do it. Even if you care not, because sometimes, its the thought that counts. Either way, i promise that it will help with stress relief. Maybe not right away, but sooner or later, it will return the favor that you my good friend, have bestowed upon it. The artwork was done by yours truly, and old school graff head, Martin Nilchian. Since we are both from Cali, it will remind you of it.

Still Lover on Crushed Planet in Beta...so its free for now

in
You can watch Still Lover right now on Crushed Planet's Tell-A-Vision site for free right now. Is it always going to be free, well, maybe not.

Few things happening, the Shanks CD drops real soon, June 26, a few days later then was the plan. Also, will be filming the promo vid for Knock. Knock. and the first trailers of whale will be going up in a week or two. Also, got a new interview going up on the DIY FILMMAKER blog real soon.