A Filmmaker’s Diary: Chris Golon & KNOCK ‘EM DEAD, KID

March 7, 2010 in film, filmmaking | Tags: distribution, film, film production, filmmaking, Independent Filmmaker, producers

Recently I exchanged emails with Chris when he approached me about doing a review of his film KNOCK ‘EM DEAD, KID. Instead, I asked him to write an article about how he made his movie. This way other filmmakers will have the opportunity to learn about someone else’s experience. I’d like to publish more articles like this, so if you’d like to share the story of how your film got made, please send it to me at info@filmmakersnotebook.com. Now, I hope you enjoy the first Filmmaker’s Diary from Chris Golon.

It was the mid 1990′s when I tried coming up with a ‘teenage’ story concept. Nothing was worked until one night the opening image of three guys sitting in a car waiting to do something hit me. From there, the idea for KNOCK ‘EM DEAD, KID was born. I always knew that I didn’t want someone else to make it, so at the time I put it aside and wrote a spec script hoping for a big sale. In 2001 I had a screenplay optioned by a producer in Los Angeles. It was a free option, however, and although the experience was invaluable, the deal eventually fell through. I realized then that I needed to try and make my own movie.

Over time, I dealt with managers and entertainment attorneys and generated some interest in my scripts, but again, nothing solid ever came to be and KNOCK ‘EM DEAD, KID cried out for me to make it. From 2001-2007, I tweaked the script. After making an experimental feature in 2006, I attended the New York Film Academy in L.A. in the fall of 2007. I entered the program to get a feel for the technical side of filmmaking. What I learned was that I didn’t need a huge budget to pull off my idea – just ingenuity.

The film is 75% real and 25% fiction and it came from me wanting to tell some of the stories that happened to me as a teenager. It’s about a 19-year-old from Connecticut, who wants to go away to school, but gets involved in a revenge style assault and is caught cheating on his girlfriend. The thematic elements are a mix of real life and reel life. I knew that I should write what I know and I knew these characters and these situations.

I took a long look at the script, which was then 212 pages and decided figure out a way and make this. I scaled the script down to 80 pages. The main location an ice cream parlor, which I couldn’t secure without a budget, was removed. Then I consolidated characters (the original script had 35+ speaking parts) and made the locations more simplistic.

I decided to shoot in LA due to the large talent pool and used a Mini DV, since it was cheaper than film, and a Panasonic DVX 100-A (24p), which I learned about at NYFA. In June 2008, I returned to L.A. I had placed ads on Craigslist and LA Casting seeking talent and a DP. The budget was a very low $800-1500. Yes, that low. I found the DP the day after I arrived back in LA and I auditioned actors for 2 weeks. All twenty of them ended up working on the project for free, which made me forever grateful.

The shoot was supposed to last two weeks, but it went to three. We shot as actors’ schedules allowed utilizing every available location we could legally. I had two friends from NYFA help me out in spots. One of them had a bit part in the movie and the other allowed me to use his apartment for a location, which resulted in his visiting sister playing a news reporter!

A lot of the shoot didn’t go smoothly. In fact, I’d say less than 50% went according to plan. Some of the unforeseen circumstances: not having the proper permits and getting kicked out of where we were shooting; an actress inexplicably leaving at the start of the second week resulting in recasting & reshooting her scenes; actors’ schedules; and finding free locations. The worst things about shooting a low budget are time and money.

My DP was great and the actors did their best under the circumstances. Dirk Julian, in his first lead role, had a tremendous weight on his shoulders and did great considering he was in almost every scene. Michael Resendez, Torey Marks, and Chad Post performed their roles as the people Dirk’s character hung out with very well. One of the actors, Al Burke, had previously been in the film “The Wedding Singer”, as the guy who defends Billy Idol. He played an abusive cop in the movie and helped out quite a bit with the young actors. He even supplied me with a real cop outfit, which he owned. During a break in shooting, he was actually approached by a woman asking for police assistance (she needed directions)! We had to explain we were making a movie and that he wasn’t a real cop.

Late that summer, I headed back east to edit the film and, of course, more problems arose. Due to computer issues, the entire project was edited on a 2 inch video camera screen. The feed from the computer was rerouted out of the computer and the monitor being used was the VCD screen on a consumer Mini DV camera. Because of this, it took over 5 months to edit it, since synching the image and the sound was problematic. One of the actors, Michael Hollinger, contributed the musical score and we found songs by placing an ad on Craigslist. I ended up using some great up and coming artists in the movie.

In February of 2009, I brought the finished movie back to LA and screened it for local cast members and mailed it to everyone else. I tried finding a Direct-to-DVD distributor and while I was looking, KNOCK won Honorable Mention at the Twin Rivers Media Fest.

In order to generate publicity for the movie, I sent screeners to DVD review sites and it was received quite well. I took a risk doing this considering if the movie had been panned, keeping interest afloat would have been tough, but the good reviews led to interviews about the movie.

It isn’t dead yet and I’m still actively seeking Direct-to-DVD distribution. Meanwhile, it is available on Amazon.com for sale and rental. Making KNOCK taught me that if you aren’t passionate about your movie, then you shouldn’t be making it. It’s time consuming and needs everything you’ve got and then some in order to succeed, but if you take a stab at making it – finish it. See it through to the end, no matter what. If an actor leaves, recast. If you have trouble editing, figure out the problem. If I made my movie, then you can make yours. In the end, you are the only one who needs to believe in the project – as long as you do, you will get it done.

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