This film rates an "8" for the pleasure it was to watch this mess. What happens when a cocky first time director (Jason Mann) pushes around Mentor/Producer's Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and the big wigs at HBO - "The Leisure Class". Mann, a Columbia University student director in the MFA program, beat out several other qualified student directors for the opportunity to direct a $3 million HBO film, working along side Affleck, Damon, the Farrelly brothers (Peter and Bobby - "There's Something About Mary"), Season 1 Winner Pete Jones and HBO movie exec Len Amato. Over the season of the show, the audience watched as Mann stomped his feet and held his breath regarding his demands. What should have been a season about a first time direct making a large film, instead turned out to be season on what it takes to be a Line Producer, as Jeff Balis and Effie Brown fought tooth and nail to hold the production together. When all the dust settled and "The Leisure Class" aired, neither Mann, Affleck, Damon or HBO came out winners.
21 Reviews
What a great first go for Gulagher
jrusso12021 May 2008
I'll admit when I saw the first few episodes of Project Greenlight Season 3, I made a snap judgment about Gulagher. I fell victim to a good producer who knew the first and foremost element of a good story: Conflict and Resolution. You have to hand it to them because they edited Gulagher's first interview with Wes Craven, Matt Damon, etc... to give the appearance of stupidity. He even clapped his hands, making music by enlarging and shrinking the opening of his mouth.
For all of the aforementioned, and numerous instances of stupidity that they credited to him as he went through the process of making a movie, Gulagher came forward as a bright and shining director/filmmaker. A force to be reckoned with in terms of film-making.
Remember folks FEAST was made for a million dollars, with maybe a tad extra to boot. Also, it was Gulagher's first full feature film if I'm not mistaken.
It was shortly after I heard Damon give Gulagher a big thumbs up about his film-making prowess at the end of the season when I realized there must be something we're not being told, because based on what I'd seen until then, this guy's a moron.
I rented FEAST as soon as I could find it on the rental shelf next to "Dawn of the Living Dead (Now with extra cleavage)." After watching the first five minutes, I could tell Gulagher will make it big. Yeah, not on FEAST because Harvey Weinstein sat on it, but more-so for his overall brilliance and knowledge of story telling.
"I don't know what I'm looking for, but I'll know it when I see it." John Gulagher
For all of the aforementioned, and numerous instances of stupidity that they credited to him as he went through the process of making a movie, Gulagher came forward as a bright and shining director/filmmaker. A force to be reckoned with in terms of film-making.
Remember folks FEAST was made for a million dollars, with maybe a tad extra to boot. Also, it was Gulagher's first full feature film if I'm not mistaken.
It was shortly after I heard Damon give Gulagher a big thumbs up about his film-making prowess at the end of the season when I realized there must be something we're not being told, because based on what I'd seen until then, this guy's a moron.
I rented FEAST as soon as I could find it on the rental shelf next to "Dawn of the Living Dead (Now with extra cleavage)." After watching the first five minutes, I could tell Gulagher will make it big. Yeah, not on FEAST because Harvey Weinstein sat on it, but more-so for his overall brilliance and knowledge of story telling.
"I don't know what I'm looking for, but I'll know it when I see it." John Gulagher
Bad directors, bad end film, bad choice
two-robinsons23 April 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Okay, after a supposedly rigorous selection process we end up with what is repeatedly referred to as a fantastic script by a talented writer and a team of two 'very capable' directors. A very different scenario to the previous series where writer Pete Jones who had never directed before was given the helm. The result was the appalling 'Stolen Summer' which made about a dollar fifty at the box office. This time things were supposed to be very different.
Unfortunately right from the start it becomes glaringly obvious that our two talented and experienced directors are nothing of the kind. At one point, one of them asks if they really need a production designer and wouldn't it be better to just tell the prop master what they want? Things get worse when they upset the leading DP candidate by accusing him of talking over them. As a result, he wisely makes the decision to pull himself out of the running. Through six weeks of preproduction,they sit quietly in script meetings leaving producers,Chris Moore and Jeff Balis come up with ways in which the script could be improved.
After a meeting with Sharon Lawrence, where they sit staring off into space, their casting director,Joseph describes them as mutes and admits that as an actor, he would have serious concerns about working with them.
Once on set they suddenly discover an interest in the script and begin rewriting scenes the night before shooting upsetting both the writer, who they deliberately exclude from the process, and the the producers. Their lack of preparation leads to them falling behind schedule and alienates their actors when it becomes clear they have no idea what it is they want. Watching the writer, Erica Beeney cringe every time they give their actors directions that run contrary to the intentions of the script and story is painful to say the least.
In truth, I don't blame the directors , even though they are intensely unlikeable characters. It was the job of the producers to put the project into the hands of the very best candidates and they patently failed to do so. I can only guess that the reason these two were picked is because it was decided that having two directors would make for more entertaining television.
At the beginning of each episode, we are told that the intention of the project is to identify talented individuals and help them to launch their careers but in the case of Kyle Rankin, Efram Potelle and Pete Jones this clearly has not been the case. Like 'Stolen Summer', 'The Battle of Shaker Heights' went on to gross about two dollars fifty before sinking without trace. Although Pete Jones has managed to sell an idea to the Farrelly brothers, none of the directors have persuaded anyone to let them anywhere near a film set.
Not surprisingly after the third series, Chris Moore declared Project Greenlight to over and then took himself off to become a director. To be honest it should never have begun.
Unfortunately right from the start it becomes glaringly obvious that our two talented and experienced directors are nothing of the kind. At one point, one of them asks if they really need a production designer and wouldn't it be better to just tell the prop master what they want? Things get worse when they upset the leading DP candidate by accusing him of talking over them. As a result, he wisely makes the decision to pull himself out of the running. Through six weeks of preproduction,they sit quietly in script meetings leaving producers,Chris Moore and Jeff Balis come up with ways in which the script could be improved.
After a meeting with Sharon Lawrence, where they sit staring off into space, their casting director,Joseph describes them as mutes and admits that as an actor, he would have serious concerns about working with them.
Once on set they suddenly discover an interest in the script and begin rewriting scenes the night before shooting upsetting both the writer, who they deliberately exclude from the process, and the the producers. Their lack of preparation leads to them falling behind schedule and alienates their actors when it becomes clear they have no idea what it is they want. Watching the writer, Erica Beeney cringe every time they give their actors directions that run contrary to the intentions of the script and story is painful to say the least.
In truth, I don't blame the directors , even though they are intensely unlikeable characters. It was the job of the producers to put the project into the hands of the very best candidates and they patently failed to do so. I can only guess that the reason these two were picked is because it was decided that having two directors would make for more entertaining television.
At the beginning of each episode, we are told that the intention of the project is to identify talented individuals and help them to launch their careers but in the case of Kyle Rankin, Efram Potelle and Pete Jones this clearly has not been the case. Like 'Stolen Summer', 'The Battle of Shaker Heights' went on to gross about two dollars fifty before sinking without trace. Although Pete Jones has managed to sell an idea to the Farrelly brothers, none of the directors have persuaded anyone to let them anywhere near a film set.
Not surprisingly after the third series, Chris Moore declared Project Greenlight to over and then took himself off to become a director. To be honest it should never have begun.
A director nobody believes in, a script few understood and a genre critics look down on - this is great cheer-the-underdogs TV
liquidcelluloid-114 May 2005
Network: Bravo; Genre: Documentary, reality; Content Rating: TV-14 (for language); Available: on DVD; Classification: Contemporary (star range: 1 - 4);
Season Reviewed: Season 3 ("Feast")
After an internet contest where aspiring writers and directors submit their work, producers Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Chris Moore choose from this well of untapped talent to give someone their big break in the film business. Real documentary cameras follow the making of the movie from pre-production and scraping of finances to dealing with tight schedules and difficult actors in production to the post-production editing and screenings. The thrills and the monotony. "Project Greenlight" is back. The movie this season: "Feast", a self-referential monster movie which the enthusiastically wound-up half of the scriptwriting team, Marcus Dunstan, frighteningly describes as "Evil Dead meets Die Hard".
A lot has changed for season 3. With the "Greenlight" movies not making any money it has shifted into survival mode this time choosing to make a marketable crowd-pleaser people might actually see. For this entry Miramax has moved the show from HBO to basic cable's Bravo where the obscenities are blanked out and a wider audience can see it. The most compelling element in this "Greenlight" is that it puts our novice filmmakers in the studio system where we watch them deal with all the concessions they must make to please the studio executives.
It is healthy to be suspect of any "reality" show, but once you get past the set-up (clearly set in place here to give them an uphill battle and stir up some drama), "Greenlight" feels like the real deal. Serious, classy and seemingly authentic. It floored me how much access we are given to the inner workings of Dimension and Miramax (on the verge of a divorce with it's parent company Disney, which by the way should give the anti-Disney fanatics out there something less to complain about). Bob Weinstein doesn't make an appearance but we hear a lot about him and the office politics of the studio - much of it not exactly flattering. That Miramax was actually allowing themselves and their movies to be opened up and shown like this is refreshing. It requires a real trust in the intelligence of their audience you never see on TV.
Example. The boldest and most memorable moment comes when first-time director John Gulager, completely disillusioned at that point, pronounces that the entire movie is just a paycheck to him until he can make something he really wants too. The show then leaves us on that note until the next episode. Now that is a high-wire risk. Coming from a studio that ultimately wants people to still see this movie, to allow us to think "Feast" is garbage, that its director doesn't even believe in, for a full week is gutsy beyond words.
While screenwriter Marcus, basking in their Hollywood experience, is endlessly fun to watch, the star of this season is Gulager. The season revolves around his arc beginning as a stammering oddball who just wants people to quite asking questions and let him "make his movie" and ends with him becoming a strong, confident, apparently talented director. It is a roller-coaster, but "Greenlight" has us firmly at every emotional bank. We cringe at Gulager's inability to communicate and laugh at a rabid pursuit to get his family (including his "girlfriend of 20 years") cast in the lead roles. We feel for his desire to pull off this life-long dream, prove he isn't just a contest winner. But we also see the side of producers Michael Leahy and Joel Soisson (both of whom become great informal narrators) who fear John may ruin the picture. We feel the stress baring down on them and the release when things go well.
"Project Greenlight" is a pure product of the medium. Only a TV show can, and would, rip the curtain back from in front of our escapist entertainment like this. Like "American Idol", "Making the Band" and "Movie Magic", "Greenlight" is a reality show that is forged out of an undisputed specialty for television - clearing out the smoke and letting us behind the scenes of industries built on fantasy, imagination and a little bit of complacent denial on all of our parts to believe in "the magic of film-making". People accept that movies and music just happen and demand it be good. Ben, Matt and Moore's goal with "Greenlight" is also, no doubt, to give the audience an idea of how mammothly complex it is to get a movie together and how slapped together it often is. The show is vastly informative to a point and careful to keep most of the actual film hidden so our entire suspension of disbelief doesn't collapse. Where would be the fun in that? We get morsels here and there to bait or interest.
Who knows how "Feast" will ultimately come out, but "Project Greenlight 3" is addictive. Not only is it a voyeuristic wet-dream for movie fans, but it retains focus on the human elements and doesn't get bogged down in mechanics. Season 3 ultimately becomes a rewarding cheer-the-underdogs TV ride featuring a director nobody believes in, a script few understood, a genre critics look down on and a collection of people with their own conflicts coming together to make something bigger than themselves (and entertain the public). It captures the drive and atmosphere that causes people to become filmmakers authentically, something that would be depicted smarmy and sarcastically on most scripted shows. The thought of a horror movie being made instead of their pretentious coming-of-age drama may make the art-house snobs out there curl up at the bottom of the bathtub and wait for death, but this season is a completely different experience than the show has had before. I can't ask for anything more in a reality series.
* * * ½ / 4
Season Reviewed: Season 3 ("Feast")
After an internet contest where aspiring writers and directors submit their work, producers Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Chris Moore choose from this well of untapped talent to give someone their big break in the film business. Real documentary cameras follow the making of the movie from pre-production and scraping of finances to dealing with tight schedules and difficult actors in production to the post-production editing and screenings. The thrills and the monotony. "Project Greenlight" is back. The movie this season: "Feast", a self-referential monster movie which the enthusiastically wound-up half of the scriptwriting team, Marcus Dunstan, frighteningly describes as "Evil Dead meets Die Hard".
A lot has changed for season 3. With the "Greenlight" movies not making any money it has shifted into survival mode this time choosing to make a marketable crowd-pleaser people might actually see. For this entry Miramax has moved the show from HBO to basic cable's Bravo where the obscenities are blanked out and a wider audience can see it. The most compelling element in this "Greenlight" is that it puts our novice filmmakers in the studio system where we watch them deal with all the concessions they must make to please the studio executives.
It is healthy to be suspect of any "reality" show, but once you get past the set-up (clearly set in place here to give them an uphill battle and stir up some drama), "Greenlight" feels like the real deal. Serious, classy and seemingly authentic. It floored me how much access we are given to the inner workings of Dimension and Miramax (on the verge of a divorce with it's parent company Disney, which by the way should give the anti-Disney fanatics out there something less to complain about). Bob Weinstein doesn't make an appearance but we hear a lot about him and the office politics of the studio - much of it not exactly flattering. That Miramax was actually allowing themselves and their movies to be opened up and shown like this is refreshing. It requires a real trust in the intelligence of their audience you never see on TV.
Example. The boldest and most memorable moment comes when first-time director John Gulager, completely disillusioned at that point, pronounces that the entire movie is just a paycheck to him until he can make something he really wants too. The show then leaves us on that note until the next episode. Now that is a high-wire risk. Coming from a studio that ultimately wants people to still see this movie, to allow us to think "Feast" is garbage, that its director doesn't even believe in, for a full week is gutsy beyond words.
While screenwriter Marcus, basking in their Hollywood experience, is endlessly fun to watch, the star of this season is Gulager. The season revolves around his arc beginning as a stammering oddball who just wants people to quite asking questions and let him "make his movie" and ends with him becoming a strong, confident, apparently talented director. It is a roller-coaster, but "Greenlight" has us firmly at every emotional bank. We cringe at Gulager's inability to communicate and laugh at a rabid pursuit to get his family (including his "girlfriend of 20 years") cast in the lead roles. We feel for his desire to pull off this life-long dream, prove he isn't just a contest winner. But we also see the side of producers Michael Leahy and Joel Soisson (both of whom become great informal narrators) who fear John may ruin the picture. We feel the stress baring down on them and the release when things go well.
"Project Greenlight" is a pure product of the medium. Only a TV show can, and would, rip the curtain back from in front of our escapist entertainment like this. Like "American Idol", "Making the Band" and "Movie Magic", "Greenlight" is a reality show that is forged out of an undisputed specialty for television - clearing out the smoke and letting us behind the scenes of industries built on fantasy, imagination and a little bit of complacent denial on all of our parts to believe in "the magic of film-making". People accept that movies and music just happen and demand it be good. Ben, Matt and Moore's goal with "Greenlight" is also, no doubt, to give the audience an idea of how mammothly complex it is to get a movie together and how slapped together it often is. The show is vastly informative to a point and careful to keep most of the actual film hidden so our entire suspension of disbelief doesn't collapse. Where would be the fun in that? We get morsels here and there to bait or interest.
Who knows how "Feast" will ultimately come out, but "Project Greenlight 3" is addictive. Not only is it a voyeuristic wet-dream for movie fans, but it retains focus on the human elements and doesn't get bogged down in mechanics. Season 3 ultimately becomes a rewarding cheer-the-underdogs TV ride featuring a director nobody believes in, a script few understood, a genre critics look down on and a collection of people with their own conflicts coming together to make something bigger than themselves (and entertain the public). It captures the drive and atmosphere that causes people to become filmmakers authentically, something that would be depicted smarmy and sarcastically on most scripted shows. The thought of a horror movie being made instead of their pretentious coming-of-age drama may make the art-house snobs out there curl up at the bottom of the bathtub and wait for death, but this season is a completely different experience than the show has had before. I can't ask for anything more in a reality series.
* * * ½ / 4
Gulager is talented
two-robinsons30 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Forget how John Gulager comes across in conversation, forget his inability to fully articulate his vision for the movie and his somewhat misguided determination to cast his family in the lead roles. None of this matters. The only thing that matters and the primary reason he was chosen as director of Feast is that this man can shoot the hell out of a movie. That was evident right from the start when his short film submission blew the producers away. From that moment on he was their number one choice to direct.
Yes Chris Moore had doubts but about Gulager's ability to properly articulate his plans for the movie not his ability to make a decent movie. At times his fears did seem to be justified. Gulager came across as awkward, bumbling and a bit of a joke especially during preproduction. During a conference call with an important studio executive, he is asked to describe the tone of the movie and can only sit open mouthed and silent prompting the executive to hang up the phone in a rage.
Then later during production itself, cast and crew are frustrated by his lack of leadership but this is due to his inexperience in working with actors and a large crew rather than his inability to direct. I work in the film industry and I know from experience that no one is born knowing how to handle a crew of sixty people and mistakes are made all the time even by the most experienced directors. Gulager is not helped by the hostile attitude of his DP who refuses to meet him even halfway and is more interested in simply making the day rather than the quality of the shots. Gulager is undermined by him every step of the way and crawls deeper and deeper into his shell, even totally shutting down at one point. Near the end of the shoot, Gulager gets the chance to work with a second unit DP who immediately understands what he is trying to do and treats him with respect and and as a result, Gulager's directing becomes much more confident.
The response to the first cut of the movie by both studio executives and producers is overwhelmingly positive and all praise him for a job well done. Sadly, Feast will probably be Gulager's one and only movie, as lacking the ambition and drive of the writers who secured for themselves ICM representation and rewrite work on a Highlander movie just a few weeks after winning the contest, Gulager will undoubtedly slide back into obscurity which will be a shame for both him and for the industry.
Yes Chris Moore had doubts but about Gulager's ability to properly articulate his plans for the movie not his ability to make a decent movie. At times his fears did seem to be justified. Gulager came across as awkward, bumbling and a bit of a joke especially during preproduction. During a conference call with an important studio executive, he is asked to describe the tone of the movie and can only sit open mouthed and silent prompting the executive to hang up the phone in a rage.
Then later during production itself, cast and crew are frustrated by his lack of leadership but this is due to his inexperience in working with actors and a large crew rather than his inability to direct. I work in the film industry and I know from experience that no one is born knowing how to handle a crew of sixty people and mistakes are made all the time even by the most experienced directors. Gulager is not helped by the hostile attitude of his DP who refuses to meet him even halfway and is more interested in simply making the day rather than the quality of the shots. Gulager is undermined by him every step of the way and crawls deeper and deeper into his shell, even totally shutting down at one point. Near the end of the shoot, Gulager gets the chance to work with a second unit DP who immediately understands what he is trying to do and treats him with respect and and as a result, Gulager's directing becomes much more confident.
The response to the first cut of the movie by both studio executives and producers is overwhelmingly positive and all praise him for a job well done. Sadly, Feast will probably be Gulager's one and only movie, as lacking the ambition and drive of the writers who secured for themselves ICM representation and rewrite work on a Highlander movie just a few weeks after winning the contest, Gulager will undoubtedly slide back into obscurity which will be a shame for both him and for the industry.
Took a bit to get over Jason Mann
thejdrage21 December 2023
I watched the train wreck that was and obviously is Jason Mann Season (2??) and was HORRIFIED at this "young" man's ARROGANCE and total lack of empathy toward anyone but HIMSELF. What was even sadder was seeing the hosts (Matt and Ben) bend to his "artistic" whims and, quite frankly, childish tantrums.
I just looked up what he's been doing and, obviously, he took enough rope to hobble himself in the world of film. Somehow, with this invaluable and unique opportunity - he's remained highly unproductive and totally forgettable in his work.
All THAT said! It was fascinating watching "The Process".
And am looking forward to the next season - which will have a female director. Fingers crossed that this one is fun to watch! And gives us someone to CHEER for!
Edit - OMG! Am finishing up Episode 2. The director they chose is very "in her head" with zero sense of urgency, so everything is pulling teeth - I AM BORED. Also, she doesn't seem to have views of her own and needs a lot of hand holding. Yeah. No. Have taken away 2 stars. Will give it one more episode.
I just looked up what he's been doing and, obviously, he took enough rope to hobble himself in the world of film. Somehow, with this invaluable and unique opportunity - he's remained highly unproductive and totally forgettable in his work.
All THAT said! It was fascinating watching "The Process".
And am looking forward to the next season - which will have a female director. Fingers crossed that this one is fun to watch! And gives us someone to CHEER for!
Edit - OMG! Am finishing up Episode 2. The director they chose is very "in her head" with zero sense of urgency, so everything is pulling teeth - I AM BORED. Also, she doesn't seem to have views of her own and needs a lot of hand holding. Yeah. No. Have taken away 2 stars. Will give it one more episode.
Everything Good and Bad about Independent Film
caspian19782 September 2002
It's safe to say that every film studies class in the country will have to watch this documentary series in order to graduate. Not that anyone student would have to be forced! This is an amazing series from HBO that tells the truth about the struggle to make a "Hollywood" Independent production. From the very important pre-production, to the filming itself, it is all amazing to watch and learn what it takes to get it done.
Can dreams *REALLY* come true?
Aussie Stud6 December 2001
This imaginative, creative and inspiring 'reality' series was created by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Chris Moore. The three men set up a competition via the internet aptly titled, "Project Greenlight" and encouraged aspiring screenwriters, directors and film-makers who wanted a chance to have their dreams and creations turned into an actual film that would be screened nationally, to send in a copy of their screen-plays. Out of an astounding 10,000 plus entries from all around the U.S., the number was narrowed down to 10 where each successful entrant was flown to L.A. to meet with Damon, Affleck and Moore and the head honchos at Miramax Films to try and pitch their ideas.
The next 10 was broken down into the final 3 where the deciding jury spent a grueling 6 hours in a hotel room trying to decide which entrant would be the winner. It was quite obvious that all of the 10 finalists were deserving people, but to break it down to three and decide who the winner out of that bunch would be was really tough. Out of the final three, Pete Jones, a native Chicagoan married man with a young daughter was chosen as the winner.
With Pete Jones behind the camera to direct his first feature film, Miramax Films has agreed to produce his film for $1 million. The question this series will have to deal with is if it is realistic that a project of this magnitude can be kept under that budget.
This series is comprised of 10 episodes and is shown on HBO. It is unfortunate that such a small audience will get to view this extraordinary series that examines the film industry and the people involved at close detail. I feel that every film student throughout the U.S. and the world would find this show to be inspiring, very informative and could benefit quite a lot from "Project Greenlight".
Kudos to Matt, Ben and Chris! This series gets a 10 out of 10!
The next 10 was broken down into the final 3 where the deciding jury spent a grueling 6 hours in a hotel room trying to decide which entrant would be the winner. It was quite obvious that all of the 10 finalists were deserving people, but to break it down to three and decide who the winner out of that bunch would be was really tough. Out of the final three, Pete Jones, a native Chicagoan married man with a young daughter was chosen as the winner.
With Pete Jones behind the camera to direct his first feature film, Miramax Films has agreed to produce his film for $1 million. The question this series will have to deal with is if it is realistic that a project of this magnitude can be kept under that budget.
This series is comprised of 10 episodes and is shown on HBO. It is unfortunate that such a small audience will get to view this extraordinary series that examines the film industry and the people involved at close detail. I feel that every film student throughout the U.S. and the world would find this show to be inspiring, very informative and could benefit quite a lot from "Project Greenlight".
Kudos to Matt, Ben and Chris! This series gets a 10 out of 10!
The Idea and the Show Could Have Been Better
bosochima12 February 2002
Project Greenlight is the brainchild of actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and Producer Chris Moore, the trio that brought `Good Will Hunting' to the screen. The show is based on a competition during which wannabe directors submit their scripts to Live Planet, the trio's production company, with the winner getting the opportunity to turn their script into a film, courtesy of Miramax. The series follows the exploits of the contest winner, Pete Jones, as he directs his feature, `Stolen Summer.'
Having worked on film sets before, I know that movie shoots that go well can be pretty boring places to be. The hours are long and the work is hard, but basically you set up, you shoot, you have lunch, you shoot some more, then you go home. It seems to me that the P.G. creators and producers stacked the deck against Jones to wring out as much `drama' as they could. First they give Jones, who has never directed a film before, less money and less time than would be optimal for the movie he is making. Logic would suggest you would want to give a neophyte more time and cash to make mistakes, do things over, etc. Logic would also suggest you would surround the newbie with the best people you could get to provide support and guidance. Instead, Jones is hooked up with a first-time Producer (Jeff Balis) and a Line Producer (Pat Peach) and cinematographer (Pete Biagi) who seem more interested in furthering their own personal agendas than making the best film for Jones. All through the series the question of `Who's in charge?' hangs in the air, with Executive Producer Chris Moore coming by the set to yell at people and threaten Balis with firing (as opposed to, say, providing genuine leadership and guidance to the production) and studio suit Michelle Sy occasionally dropping in to `represent the interests of Miramax,' whatever that means.
The series shows all the major screw-ups on the production Jones shoots under a noisy train platform that renders sound recording impossible, the big baseball scene is rained out and the crew does not have an alternative location, the scene of the two main characters swimming is hindered by the fact that the child actors are terrible swimmers. The crew gets worn down but soldiers on through the confusion, taking note of such basic directing/producing mistakes as not having a daily shot list. The series is very good at depicting just how chaotic movie making can be, especially when the people calling the shots do not really know what they are doing. Unfortunately, the series did not show anything that went well on the set. Despite the numerous gaffs depicted in the show, a movie apparently did get made. It would have been nice to see how the crew went about crafting and shooting a normal, regular scene, without all the conflict that went on behind the camera.
The last episode of the series showed Stolen Summer's premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. It seemed the reactions of the audience to the film were upbeat, but not overwhelming. I hope the film is good I'll probably check it out when it goes into wide release. I also hope the mistakes depicted in the series do not hurt Jones's chances of directing again. All in all the idea of Project Greenlight is an admirable one. Any opportunity for fresh talent to break into the insulated world of major films can't be bad. If Affleck and Damon decide to do this again, however, I hope they forget the whole reality series angle and just give the contest winner the money and people he or she needs to make the best film they can.
Having worked on film sets before, I know that movie shoots that go well can be pretty boring places to be. The hours are long and the work is hard, but basically you set up, you shoot, you have lunch, you shoot some more, then you go home. It seems to me that the P.G. creators and producers stacked the deck against Jones to wring out as much `drama' as they could. First they give Jones, who has never directed a film before, less money and less time than would be optimal for the movie he is making. Logic would suggest you would want to give a neophyte more time and cash to make mistakes, do things over, etc. Logic would also suggest you would surround the newbie with the best people you could get to provide support and guidance. Instead, Jones is hooked up with a first-time Producer (Jeff Balis) and a Line Producer (Pat Peach) and cinematographer (Pete Biagi) who seem more interested in furthering their own personal agendas than making the best film for Jones. All through the series the question of `Who's in charge?' hangs in the air, with Executive Producer Chris Moore coming by the set to yell at people and threaten Balis with firing (as opposed to, say, providing genuine leadership and guidance to the production) and studio suit Michelle Sy occasionally dropping in to `represent the interests of Miramax,' whatever that means.
The series shows all the major screw-ups on the production Jones shoots under a noisy train platform that renders sound recording impossible, the big baseball scene is rained out and the crew does not have an alternative location, the scene of the two main characters swimming is hindered by the fact that the child actors are terrible swimmers. The crew gets worn down but soldiers on through the confusion, taking note of such basic directing/producing mistakes as not having a daily shot list. The series is very good at depicting just how chaotic movie making can be, especially when the people calling the shots do not really know what they are doing. Unfortunately, the series did not show anything that went well on the set. Despite the numerous gaffs depicted in the show, a movie apparently did get made. It would have been nice to see how the crew went about crafting and shooting a normal, regular scene, without all the conflict that went on behind the camera.
The last episode of the series showed Stolen Summer's premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. It seemed the reactions of the audience to the film were upbeat, but not overwhelming. I hope the film is good I'll probably check it out when it goes into wide release. I also hope the mistakes depicted in the series do not hurt Jones's chances of directing again. All in all the idea of Project Greenlight is an admirable one. Any opportunity for fresh talent to break into the insulated world of major films can't be bad. If Affleck and Damon decide to do this again, however, I hope they forget the whole reality series angle and just give the contest winner the money and people he or she needs to make the best film they can.
Good show about what looks like a bad movie.
BenjCarr10 January 2002
Watching this one-disaster-after-another reality show, I can't help but wonder if Pete Jones realizes just how lucky he is and how much scrutiny he's under. I mean, he's been pushy, demanding and silly on the set. He's not following a shot schedule or taking advice from anyone, particularly Chris Moore (who comes off in this show as a sort of wiseass, common-sense-spouting hero).
Incidentally, did you count how many drinks Ben Affleck had in the first episode? No wonder they sent him to rehab.
"Stolen Summer," which had a script that Matt Damon said sounded too much like an afterschool special, looks like it's going to be painful to sit through, but this show makes me want to suffer through it.
Incidentally, did you count how many drinks Ben Affleck had in the first episode? No wonder they sent him to rehab.
"Stolen Summer," which had a script that Matt Damon said sounded too much like an afterschool special, looks like it's going to be painful to sit through, but this show makes me want to suffer through it.
Fabulous peek at the Glamorous Life
damir0022 February 2002
Ok, maybe not so glamorous - but then that's a useful thing to learn, no?. This multi-part docudrama takes a fascinating look at making movies by following the making of a movie by a first-time director.
I only hope they put this on DVD so others can learn from their mistakes. ;-)
I only hope they put this on DVD so others can learn from their mistakes. ;-)
Promises Broken
kmscb-121 March 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I watched the first episode of PGL-3......and that did it.
I stayed with the whole concept of a competition to offer amateur screenwriters and directors a chance at making their movie all the way through PGL-1 and PGL-2. I mean, I loved the idea; and I really wanted it to work, to be an honest attempt at leveling the playing field a little...just a little.
Yes, I groaned at Pete Jones winning for a script I found borderline offensive in PGL-1, but then I recalled there was a great movie about children and death that I saw years ago in college (it was French and made just after WW2..."something Garden"...but I can't remember the name of it) that sounded foul and turned out to be brilliant, so I accepted it as one of those "Maybe this could work" moments. It didn't.
Then came 2, and I liked the script for "Battle of Shaker Heights" but the panel seemed to almost deliberately choose the worst two directors to make it, a pair of guys who wouldn't know sensitive unless it slapped them up side the head. But I convinced myself it could be seen as an experiment in trying something different, a collision of Yin and Yang to see if we get fusion (though it took a LOT of convincing). The directors ruined that script.
And now...now we have a series where the studio (which I refuse to name because I now despise it) forces the worst script to be the winner of the "competition" (and Matt and Ben roll over like a nice pair of...well, you know whats) and then the middle-aged son of an actor who was in Craven's "Nightmare On Elm Street 2" is chosen to direct, despite him having no vision, no passion, no communication abilities, no concept of the creature, no nothing to show for himself except a pair of fairly decent shorts. It was then I had to admit to myself this show was never about giving amateurs a chance to make a movie, it was just about making another "reality" TV show that is scripted to within an inch of its existence. (Could the set-up be more obvious? The old Lincoln that won't start and with the tape on the seats; the credit cards that don't work; the "Eyeore" personality.) I actually screamed at the TV when I saw it.
Yes, I was angry at the suggestion that the viewers are so stupid they can't see through this three-card-Monte nonsense. But even more, I was hurt. I really thought Ben and Matt , considering the breaks they've received (and made very good use of), meant it when they set up Project Greenlight. Well, to paraphrase a too-well known saying, "What fools we mortals be." Blind fools willing to believe anything we're told if we want to, badly enough.
So if you want to see how movies get made in Hollywood, go ahead and watch this "reality series". You'll learn it's not what you know or how good you are that gets you ahead, it's who you know and whether or not they like the initial concept. And maybe that's the ultimate message.
As for me, I'm still fool enough to hope the movie turns out well. But I won't watch anymore of this thing. All it will remind me of is promises broken.
I stayed with the whole concept of a competition to offer amateur screenwriters and directors a chance at making their movie all the way through PGL-1 and PGL-2. I mean, I loved the idea; and I really wanted it to work, to be an honest attempt at leveling the playing field a little...just a little.
Yes, I groaned at Pete Jones winning for a script I found borderline offensive in PGL-1, but then I recalled there was a great movie about children and death that I saw years ago in college (it was French and made just after WW2..."something Garden"...but I can't remember the name of it) that sounded foul and turned out to be brilliant, so I accepted it as one of those "Maybe this could work" moments. It didn't.
Then came 2, and I liked the script for "Battle of Shaker Heights" but the panel seemed to almost deliberately choose the worst two directors to make it, a pair of guys who wouldn't know sensitive unless it slapped them up side the head. But I convinced myself it could be seen as an experiment in trying something different, a collision of Yin and Yang to see if we get fusion (though it took a LOT of convincing). The directors ruined that script.
And now...now we have a series where the studio (which I refuse to name because I now despise it) forces the worst script to be the winner of the "competition" (and Matt and Ben roll over like a nice pair of...well, you know whats) and then the middle-aged son of an actor who was in Craven's "Nightmare On Elm Street 2" is chosen to direct, despite him having no vision, no passion, no communication abilities, no concept of the creature, no nothing to show for himself except a pair of fairly decent shorts. It was then I had to admit to myself this show was never about giving amateurs a chance to make a movie, it was just about making another "reality" TV show that is scripted to within an inch of its existence. (Could the set-up be more obvious? The old Lincoln that won't start and with the tape on the seats; the credit cards that don't work; the "Eyeore" personality.) I actually screamed at the TV when I saw it.
Yes, I was angry at the suggestion that the viewers are so stupid they can't see through this three-card-Monte nonsense. But even more, I was hurt. I really thought Ben and Matt , considering the breaks they've received (and made very good use of), meant it when they set up Project Greenlight. Well, to paraphrase a too-well known saying, "What fools we mortals be." Blind fools willing to believe anything we're told if we want to, badly enough.
So if you want to see how movies get made in Hollywood, go ahead and watch this "reality series". You'll learn it's not what you know or how good you are that gets you ahead, it's who you know and whether or not they like the initial concept. And maybe that's the ultimate message.
As for me, I'm still fool enough to hope the movie turns out well. But I won't watch anymore of this thing. All it will remind me of is promises broken.
Loved every minute of it!
gceomer30 July 2004
What a great show! Last summer my friends and I would watch this show ritually. The two directors were such complete opposites and so unexperienced. As horrible as it is, it was wonderful to see them learn through their many mistakes. Additionally, the writer was incredibly annoying...someone needs to inform her that her job was writing the script, not directing the movie. Anyway, this series was wonderful and a great behind-the-scenes look at making a movie. Unfortunately, The Battle of Shaker Heights wasn't the greatest movie and failed at the box office, most likely directly contributing to the show not being renewed. Still, I highly recommend this season!
It had to be mediocre
BobJuch23 March 2005
The peer-voting method of picking the top scripts and directors ensures that anything/anybody really good will not be selected. Would you really give someone high marks if you were competing against them? I read each of the top ten scripts in the first PGL and found that the winner, Stolen Summer, was the only one that was not full of typos and grammatical errors. The plots weren't great either.
I entered the second PGL and had one voter who gave me top marks in each category and one who gave me top marks in all but one category and that was just one down. What killed me were the other three voters who gave me marks close to the bottom. Yes, I'm bitter.
I entered the second PGL and had one voter who gave me top marks in each category and one who gave me top marks in all but one category and that was just one down. What killed me were the other three voters who gave me marks close to the bottom. Yes, I'm bitter.
This is absurd, I know nothing of movies, but I am a fan of the genre to some extent, and I can tell a loser when I see one.
Lollipop45987 August 2005
I could not believe they actually chose the person and the script they did. It obviously had to be a set up. I found myself cheering for the people that made good(or at least better) choices against the wimpy, whinny directors wishes. He had no vision of the script, his response to every thing was "I don't know what I'm looking for, but I'll know when I see it". I'm sure he had no clue what he was looking for, but I'm equally sure he wouldn't know a good thing if it bit him in his considerably large back end. This is just another reality show, which is too bad. And the griping about Miramax/Disney politics seemed very play acted to me. There couldn't be an ounce of the real thing here. I only feel sorry for the talented people that probably tried to get a break from this staged nonsense.
project greenlight(2001)
m5iron23 January 2002
ben comes off like the guy , who pulls all the strings out there in hollywood and i really like this program, great idea on project greenlight, i would really like to see a sequel, to good will hunting, unless they already did it , with (it's a beautiful mind) and i still say to people if they have not seen, good will hunting yet, there missing out on, one of the best movies, ever made !! ps. remember when it was released aad you had these giant's out (titanic & as good as it get's) right next door in the theather, it was a tough choice to make, i chose right, and saw one of the best film's, ever made !!
4 Stars...
brentdci13 May 2005
I have enjoyed this series since the first season. Project Greenlight should be picked up again for another project/season. I have to give extra credit for Mr. Damon for standing up for what PGL is all about at the beginning of this run. Hats off to all who support PGL and as one who is in the business, this is time and financial support well worth the investment. The commitment from everyone from the studio/executive level all the way down shows that a project, film, behind the scenes shoot or television run is well worth it and in this case, third time is a charm and everyone involved should feel vindicated and the first two seasons were the investment to get where everyone is today. My hats off to all for supporting PGL and please keep up the good work. --San Francisco, California May 2005
A bunch of white boys their chests.
Surfivors19 January 2002
Trying to make a low budget independent feature movie is always an interesting lesson in futility. It reminds of that line in "Body Heat" when William Hurt visits his client, Mickey Rourke in jail: "When you commit a crime, there are 50 ways to screw up. If you can think of 10 of them - you're a genius". Although this does give an interesting "behind the scenes" look at the complexities - the process is somewhat tainted by the fact a camera is ever present. What we are left with is a bunch of white boys beating themselves on the chest in a battle over self importance.
I love this series!!
CoenHead5 February 2002
I've never seen anything like this before - where the making of a movie is unmasked from start to finish. We see it all - warts, nose hair, the works, all the interesting behind-the-scenes stuff which you really don't get a taste of otherwise unless you are actually in the production side of the movie business, and HBO and the Project Greenlight staff deserve a great deal of credit for putting this together.
The movie involved in this documentary, "Stolen Summer" appears to be a train wreck from hell, with a childish script, a novice, completely untalented director (Pete Jones), and a faux artiste director of photography. It is perfect for a behind-the-scenes expose because there are so many engaging conflicts in its production. Let's start with the "auteur" - Pete Jones, who wrote what from all appearances seems to be a wholly inadequate screenplay and who was selected to direct this for reasons unknown. He is passive-aggressive, clearly hasn't a clue how movies are really made and doesn't have the first idea how to manage the production crew at his disposal. It is hilarious to see how stupidly he directs this movie - throwing his lot behind a director of photography who is clearly only interested in his own self-interest. Further, Mr. Jones doesn't have the first clue how to frame shots or how to obtain good performances from good actors, let alone untrained kids. Then there is the illustrious Mr. Jones pontificating on how he has a "track record" after three weeks of shooting - classic !!!! He truly has no understanding of how lucky he was to have been given this chance to direct a movie and how many other, far more talented writers and directors would have done a far better job on the film. I can't wait for Stolen Summer to be released just so I can see how bad it truly is - I'm thinking it might just be the worst movie of 2002 !!
Now let's deal with the director of photography - who apparently feels that the most important thing in moviemaking is delay, delay, delay - who couldn't set up a shot quickly if his mother was on fire and he had to get the shot in to go put the flames out. His artistic pretensions in full bloom, he spouts off reverently of his "European" orientation, blah blah blah....and Pete Jones trusts this guy??? Please !!!
The movie involved in this documentary, "Stolen Summer" appears to be a train wreck from hell, with a childish script, a novice, completely untalented director (Pete Jones), and a faux artiste director of photography. It is perfect for a behind-the-scenes expose because there are so many engaging conflicts in its production. Let's start with the "auteur" - Pete Jones, who wrote what from all appearances seems to be a wholly inadequate screenplay and who was selected to direct this for reasons unknown. He is passive-aggressive, clearly hasn't a clue how movies are really made and doesn't have the first idea how to manage the production crew at his disposal. It is hilarious to see how stupidly he directs this movie - throwing his lot behind a director of photography who is clearly only interested in his own self-interest. Further, Mr. Jones doesn't have the first clue how to frame shots or how to obtain good performances from good actors, let alone untrained kids. Then there is the illustrious Mr. Jones pontificating on how he has a "track record" after three weeks of shooting - classic !!!! He truly has no understanding of how lucky he was to have been given this chance to direct a movie and how many other, far more talented writers and directors would have done a far better job on the film. I can't wait for Stolen Summer to be released just so I can see how bad it truly is - I'm thinking it might just be the worst movie of 2002 !!
Now let's deal with the director of photography - who apparently feels that the most important thing in moviemaking is delay, delay, delay - who couldn't set up a shot quickly if his mother was on fire and he had to get the shot in to go put the flames out. His artistic pretensions in full bloom, he spouts off reverently of his "European" orientation, blah blah blah....and Pete Jones trusts this guy??? Please !!!
greatgreatgreat
cfelts22 January 2002
Anyone Either in the entertainment industry, planning on entering the entertainment industry, or just working on any large scale collaborative project involving creative content must watch this.
I've worked in video games for years, and while the medium is different, the dynamic of producers and creative personnel, neophytes and experienced moviemakers, and very real interaction of personalities on this show make it a must se for anyone either taking part in or overseeing a large scale creative project.
Unlike other "reality shows", everyone involved in this series is far too busy with the day to day work of putting the film together to mug for the camera. As a result you get to see who it competent, who is just guessing. How tough decisions get made and how events are put into action. You see a man get the "prize" of being responsible for the dispersment of a million dollars. (Sounds great until you realize he has to explain all of his decisions to someone else...) You see a major part of the production staff get fired, and understand the events that forced that situation to take place. You see people who may be typically described as assholes make tough decisions, knowing full well that there will be large scale consequences no matter what action they decide to take. And you discover that an asshole is often just someone who has to make a really difficult decision. You also see that sometimes that person is just an asshole.
I cannot say enough good about this series and each and every person involved with it. Its like quantum movie making, where just the act of observing the action, changes what actions are taken, like when the documentary crew is asked for their input during the selection process...
Absolutely stunning.
If HBO doesn't release this on DVD after it is finished they are doing themselves and everyone else a grave disservice.
I've worked in video games for years, and while the medium is different, the dynamic of producers and creative personnel, neophytes and experienced moviemakers, and very real interaction of personalities on this show make it a must se for anyone either taking part in or overseeing a large scale creative project.
Unlike other "reality shows", everyone involved in this series is far too busy with the day to day work of putting the film together to mug for the camera. As a result you get to see who it competent, who is just guessing. How tough decisions get made and how events are put into action. You see a man get the "prize" of being responsible for the dispersment of a million dollars. (Sounds great until you realize he has to explain all of his decisions to someone else...) You see a major part of the production staff get fired, and understand the events that forced that situation to take place. You see people who may be typically described as assholes make tough decisions, knowing full well that there will be large scale consequences no matter what action they decide to take. And you discover that an asshole is often just someone who has to make a really difficult decision. You also see that sometimes that person is just an asshole.
I cannot say enough good about this series and each and every person involved with it. Its like quantum movie making, where just the act of observing the action, changes what actions are taken, like when the documentary crew is asked for their input during the selection process...
Absolutely stunning.
If HBO doesn't release this on DVD after it is finished they are doing themselves and everyone else a grave disservice.
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