{Like Spinning Leaves: July 2007

Like Spinning Leaves

Friday, July 13, 2007

Delirious Marketing

Something cool happened today.

But the whole thing started last night.

I was on my way to a chiptune show when I got a call from fellow Brooklynite/Filmmaker/OE Fan/Etc Chioke, asking if I was available to shoot today. Naturally I said yes. Not just because it's nice to get away from the doldrums of editing (hey, Sunlight, how's it going?) but also because I've been meaning to work with Chioke on something ever since I served as the last minute boom operator on this little gem last year.

I'll admit, I was a little confused at first. From what I could make out on the ever-crackling squawkbox I call My Cellphone, it sounded like some businesspeople types wanted to put together a little promotional piece for [X] and they wanted it shot in the style of The Office (take your pick). Great, some annoying white collar vanity project, I'm thinking. Whatever, Work is Work, no point in being picky or judgmental, etc. At the very least, I had enough faith in the fact that Chioke was directing to know that it would at least be fun(ny) and interesting.

So that night I get the call sheet and skim over the list of talent. Mr. X as A, Ms. Y as B, Tom DeCillo as Tom DeCillo, yes yes alright.

*beat*

::eyes snap back up a few lines::

That's cute. Some actor named Tom DeCillo. I wonder if he's supposed to be playing writer/director Tom DeCillo (of well deserved Living In Oblivion fame). Then I start reading the script and it dawns on me: Holy crap, Chioke somehow managed to convince Tom DeCillo to make this web video about him confronting a stingy pair of Marketing executives from Some Big Hollywood Studio in order to promote his upcoming film Delirious.

The short version of the story is that Chioke went to a screening of the film and stayed for the Q&A with TD. TD (told you this was the short version) ends said Q&A by saying that they have no money to market the film so the people in the audience should tell their friends. Chioke goes up to him and (as only Chioke, as far as I know, can) says something to the effect of "Why don't you call me and we'll make some no-budget web videos featuring you and the actors in the film and I'll send it to all my media/film blog contacts and spread the word"

He hands him his business card (which he slipped out of his pocket and kept in the palm of his hand before he even opened his mouth) and the rest is history.

Soooo this morning I watched a little thing they already did between DiCillo and Steve Buscemi. It was funny, my suspicions were confirmed, and I got considerably excited.

And I apologize for how how anticlimactic this is but I don't want to look sillier than I already do by going over the sequence of events, beat for beat.

We show up, shoot it, have fun, and call it a day an hour and a half early. I wish every gig could be like this.

I'll post a link as soon as it's up.

All that being said, go see Delirious on August 15th!