A photo from the set of the “Talk My Shit” music video shoot. 
Neijah, Picaso (rear), Raven (front), and Me (from left to right).

A Beautiful Chaos – The Epilogue (Teaser)
Lead: Raven Elise
Music/Score by Amycanbe “Everywhere” (written by Amati, Gradari, Mercuriali, Trinchillo)

We begin this series of short films at the conclusion (Epilogue) of a much larger storyline. The idea for the concept of this film centers around a beautiful woman who is trapped in a whirlwind of chaos. For this reason, the title holds a metaphorical meaning.

In many ways, our lead character is trapped within the complexities of her beauty and the chaos that it has caused her life. Nonetheless, she is stuck in a crossroads situation, where she is seeking retribution for….

Well… you’ll just have to watch the next few chapters for more answers. I will say that each story from this point forward will reveal the backstory of a very dark, twisted, and edgy sequence of events.

You will notice that this film has a specific Grindhouse/Exploitation cinematic look. The next chapters will also share a similar look and feel.

A very warm thank you to Amycanbe!! I love this group! Their music is not only some of the most cinematic music that I have come across via social media, the amazing song “Everywhere” inspired many of the visuals for this film prior to shooting… Not to mention… I find myself frequently listening to their music. If you haven’t heard their albums or music, you should purchase them now.

Also, shout out to the talented Raven Elise from the MTV show Electronic Barbarellas. Working with her is truly a wonderful experience. I had pitched the initial concept to her several months ago, and I instantly became impressed with her because she instantly understood the character’s psyche. I was amazed by how quickly she dove right into understanding the backstory and the plot. I really enjoy working with people like her because she is focused, has a great attitude,  is professional, and is as passionate about the vision of these next few Chaos short film projects as I am. Raven, I salute you.

On that note…. Stay tuned! 

http://amycanbe.blogspot.com/2012/02/beautiful-chaos-epilogue-teaser-by-max.html?spref=tw

On set with the talented Raven Elise

Take a look at the film.

Steve McQueen photographed at Channel 4, London: ‘I’m not who people think I am.’

Photograph: Felix Clay for the Guardian

Still very hard to imagine that a film as provocative and compelling as SHAME was not included in the 2012 Oscar lineup…  well maybe it’s not so surprising… considering that each year the Oscars tend to exclude many brilliant films and performances…

I happened to see this movie opening night in Hollywood. The audience response from the sold out theatre was wonderful.

SHAME  was by far my favorite film of 2011. I’ve been a fan of Director Steve McQueen for a while, and SHAME is simply outstanding for a variety of reasons…

The formula is simple, yet rare: Brilliant Script + Brilliant Cinematography + Brilliant Acting +  Brilliant Directing = Excellent Film

This film is honest, timely, compelling, and outstanding.

SHAME tops my 2012 Oscar list for several categories:

Best Director: Steve McQueen, “Shame”

Best Actor: Michael Fassbender, “Shame”

Best Supporting Actress: Carey Mulligan, “Shame”

Best Original Screenplay: Abi Mogran, Steven McQueen, “Shame”

Best Cinematography: Sean Bobbitt, “Shame”

Best Editing: Joe Walker, “Shame”

Best Picture: “Shame”

In an recent interview posted by The Guardian, McQueen discusses the film:

article was posted via: http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2012/jan/08/steve-mcqueen-shame-sex-addiction-interview

Steve McQueen: ‘I could never make American movies – they like happy endings’You’ve followed 2008′s Hunger with the searing drama Shame, which stars Michael Fassbender as a sex addict living in New York. Is being in film still exciting? I’ve seen behind the curtain. It’s a bit Wizard of Oz-like.

 

 

via Guardian

 

McQueen States:

Q: Your films may look a bit like life, but they’re very stylish, stylized even.

I worked with scriptwriter Abi Morgan on Shame and she’s brilliant, but she always knows where her stories and sentences are going. I don’t want that; I like to start a sentence and let it take me, let it flow, so it can go anywhere. That’s how I think things are in life, where we don’t have a script. So I don’t do storyboards. The characters and narrative dictate how I film a scene.

- http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2012/jan/08/steve-mcqueen-shame-sex-addiction-interview

Q: Surely the art world is the same, full of big names and egos?

Oh no, film is way different. When you’re 20ft tall on a massive screen and you’re seeing people’s lives played out on it, it’s different from a nice painting. Film is important; it can be more than reportage or a novel – it creates images people have never seen before, never imagined they’d see, maybe because they needed someone else to imagine them.

- http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2012/jan/08/steve-mcqueen-shame-sex-addiction-interview

Q:  Can art address these questions?

Art can’t fix anything. It can just observe and portray. What’s important is that it becomes an object, a thing you can see and talk about and refer to. A film is an object around which you can have a debate, more so than the incident itself. It’s someone’s view of an incident, an advanced starting point.

- http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2012/jan/08/steve-mcqueen-shame-sex-addiction-interview

Section of the interview via The Guardian:

Entertainment.ie – Shame: Video Interview with Michael Fassbender & Steve McQueen

Momentum Pictures – Steve McQueen The Origins of Shame

Momentum Pictures – Shame – Steve McQueen Interview

 DP/30: Shame, actor Carey Mulligan:

Empire Magazine – Carey Mulligan Interview – Shame

Sight and Sound interview with Steve McQueen and Michael Fassbender:

DP/30: Shame, co-writer/director Steve McQueen, actor Michael Fassbender:

 I agree with this tweet via Alyssa Newcomb

  @AlyssaNewcomb

When I eventually am fortunate enough to stumble across a script worthy of directing a feature film for… expect a simliar style of cinematography… expect emotion… expect brilliant acting… expect great direction… and most importantly… expect the truth. 

McQueen is a breath of fresh air.

Now get the hell off the couch and go find a theatre that is still playing this movie!

We have selected the 2011 Original OBS (Organization of Black Screenwriters) Script Short Film Contest Winners.

Congratulations to all of you! I am grateful to have helped sponsor and be a part of this competition.

Great work screenwriters! Thank you OBS.

The winners were announced via: http://obswriter.com/

Winners List

1st Place – Easter Speech –Rene Rawls – Los Angeles, CA

1st Place – Homecoming –Ebony Gee – Hercules, CA

2nd Place – Unruly Gray Hair-Animated –Kimberly Allen – No Hollywood, CA

2nd Place – Glitch –Adam Starks – No Hollywood, CA

3rd Place – Liar Liar –Christy Lavalais – Van Nuys, CA

3rd Place – Crossroads –Akeba Gaddis – West Hollywood, CA

Congratulations Winners! Great work!

What type of creative projects can we expect in 2012?

A series of artistic short films, some scripted work due to the short film competition that I sponsored, and potentially more music videos. I have paused production on the independent music videos. I discuss my reasons for this decision in the Death of the Music Video Director Interview. Mainly because… I just want to create fresh visuals… the types of visuals that are trapped inside my cerebral cortex without feeling restricted. Cinema provides that freedom.

Oh… and make sure you look out for these two short films: A Beautiful Chaos & Alone at Midnight.

I watched She’s So Gone, Kiss of the Black Widow, A Beautiful Chaos, and The Nightmare. I appreciate the visuals in these films. What is the inspiration behind your personal short film visual pieces?

I have always been a fan of “artistic” short films and non-dialogue based visual cinema work. You see, I am from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and grew up under the inspiration of Andy Warhol and The Mattress Factory.

My pieces are inspired from a series of random spur of the moment visual story ideas. Many of these visual pieces will only be created for the sole purpose of provoking an emotion. Nothing more, nothing less. Full creative control. Woot!

Many of these films will also defy traditional film genres. Many of these films may not make “sense” to viewers, which is good because I strongly believe that art and film can be very ambiguous in nature. Viewers should expect a great deal of unique cinematic visual work from me in the near future.

Now… the scripted work should be a fun experience. It is hard to find good scripts – especially short film scripts. I have been thirsty for some original scripted material.

What do you look for in the actors/actresses that you cast for these films?

Top 7:

1. A positive and professional attitude. This is probably the most important requirement. The attitude of the actor/actress makes the creative process function. Acting is really about projecting the honesty of the character, not the individual actor/actress, and it’s important that the talent understand their role .

There is a certain honesty in a strong performance that makes cinema special. Plus, LA is very competitive and there are always a great deal of candidates to select from in this city. You don’t want to miss out on a great opportunity because you are having a bad day.

2. A unique, modelesque look.

3. Passion for cinema, fashion, acting, and art.

4. An Internet and social media presence.

5. The desire to perform in a creative and unique visual.

6. Fast response time and good communication. Many opportunities are squandered due to slow responses and lack thereof. 

7. Trust

They have to be serious about becoming the character. I stress this because I take my creative work very seriously. A responsibility comes with acting. A responsibility comes with directing.

I tend to cast many models for these roles because I find that models know their bodies, and many of them want to be in films. I enjoy providing creative opportunities and roles that challenge them.

As directors, we create the world that they explore, and you would be surprised at what you can create when you match the proper visual with the right person.

What type of creative projects can we expect in the next few months?

More original and inspired work. I have some cool ideas for some pieces to direct this year.

Where do you see yourself in the next few years?

One goal is to find the right EP or ProdCo to work for… It is important to find the support of people who appreciate your talent and passion. I see that as an ongoing goal. 

From a logistical standpoint: Hmmm. I have concluded that I secretly desire to live in a city where the women wear elegant dresses and the men only wear well-tailored suits. People may get a chuckle from this… but I am 150% serious. Perhaps I will find that place. Perhaps, I will just create it and live in it. Your imagination has the power to take you anywhere.

“Destiny has two ways of crushing us — by refusing our wishes and by fulfilling them.”  - Henri Frédéric Amiel

Short film: The Nightmare
Directed By: Max Cole
Lead: BOBBi DEAN

Synopsis: A woman experiences a series of random events, which forces her to question what is real, and what is not.

I have always found dreams and nightmares fascinating, and I have always wanted to shoot something that reflected a trippy, lucid nightmare. This became the inspiration for the film – providing a short, disjointed, psychological visual nightmare. I’ll leave the rest for your imagination.

The only thing that I want viewers to take from this film is that dreams are really bizarre.  They usually never make sense. They are beautiful for that reason.

DIRECTOR’S HINT: Google RU-486

____
“Your dreams are part of your reality. As purely energetic beings, there are far more similarities between our waking and dreaming realities than there are differences. Our thoughts create our experiences and our feelings indicate our level of alignment with those experiences.

In dreams, however, unlike in waking life, our ego-directed conscious thinking mind is turned off. This means that in dreams the manifestation of our thoughts comes quicker and more intensified than in waking reality. The time delay between when we have the thought and when it’s actualized in our present reality is decreased, as is the amount of attention required from you to make it so.”

Source: Posted by Mind Power Master http://www.mindreality.net/dreams-are-preview-of-incoming-manifestations

McQueen makes a great point regarding opportunity and the portrayal of reality in films.

The trailer for ‘Shame’… a brilliantly acted, directed, and well shot film.

Lucy Van Pelt: [throwing Snoopy off her head] No, no, no!
[Snoopy starts mocking Lucy]

Lucy Van Pelt: Listen, all of you! You’ve got to take direction! You’ve got to have discipline! You’ve got to have respect for your director!
[notices Snoopy]

Lucy Van Pelt: I oughta slug you!

Lucy Van Pelt: [Snoopy licks her face] Ugh! I’ve been kissed by a dog! I have dog germs! Get hot water! Get some disinfectant! Get some Iodine!

Snoopy: [Snoopy sticks out his tongue] Bleah!