ISSUE #5
BEAM FROM THE BOOTH | GRAND RAPIDS FILM SOCIETY
[EDITED BY: GRIFFIN SHERIDAN]
Friday has arrived! And with it, a brand-new installment of BEAM FROM THE BOOTH by GRAND RAPIDS FILM SOCIETY!
What a week it has been. We hosted not one, but two screenings: LITTLE WOMEN (happy belated International Women’s Day, while we’re here) and AFTERSUN - we weren’t exactly sure what the turnout would be like for back-to-back weeknight events, but we were so pleased to see plenty of enthusiastic folks show up for both.
Aftersun was a special screening in particular as it was the West Michigan premiere of the debut feature by Scottish director Charlotte Wells, and we had people from all over the state join us last night, which is exactly what we at GRFS set out to do with each event we put on: bring people together by way of the cinematic arts.
While we’re on Aftersun, we wanted to share some additional materials that we think you all may be interested in: a collection of short films from Charlotte Wells. Find three of her earlier works linked below…
Tuesday - 2015 (Wells’ debut short!)
Laps - 2017
Blue Christmas - 2017
The shorts above, along with Aftersun, prove Wells to be a remarkably talented filmmaker. We at GRFS love to highlight filmmakers and filmmaking as much as we love to share in screenings and discourse. In fact, in the months ahead, you’ll see a big push from us to incorporate more resources and spaces for filmmakers into our endeavors, including a dedicated channel on our Discord server, a database on our website, and more! But to kick it off we’re starting a new column focused on production stories, advice, and exploration.
It’s called “Production Parables” - and you can read the first edition of it below!
Production Parables
BURNOUT: A LESSON IN BALANCE
[BY: BREANA MALLOY]
The last semester of my senior year of college was life-changing, but it was also the beginning of a massive reality check. I was sleeping maybe five hours a night, putting in just enough effort to get by. Between classes, a full-time job, a cappella club, and producing multiple films, I was struggling. The films always came first and anything else in my life was secondary, friends and family included. I knew that it was too much, but I told myself I could do it. I just kept saying ‘yes’ to the next great opportunity because I felt it would be good for my career and wanted to do it.
I hoped to find some reprieve in graduation. While it did give me a little bit of time to breathe, I was still working full-time in conjunction with developing my first large-scale production: Thing from the Factory by the Field. From sunrise to sunset, there was always a task that I needed to accomplish. I often fell asleep while working in bed. I talked to filmmakers and employees more than my family and even missed my sick grandmother’s birthday. I powered through the summer, quitting my job as a regional manager and was then able to put all of my energy into the film. At the time, I believed this to be the best version of myself. By the end of the summer, I had produced an amazing movie. But my grandmother also passed, and I prioritized my work so much that I didn't get a chance to say goodbye.
Within two weeks of wrapping the film, I secured a job at Ingalls Pictures, a production company in Grand Rapids. I began producing all types of videos, learning the world of corporate video production — it was full of scheduling, coordinating with clients, and managing people. I was overjoyed and threw myself into the role, giving my all to what quickly became a full-time position. By winter, I had met with my friend, Brennan Huizinga, and we started pre-production on our first feature, The Collins Film. It was set to be filmed that next summer, and I was producing my largest project to date. That winter I also took on the opportunity to work as a co-producer for a feature, Kids Go Free to Fun Time, and a short-film, Unemployees. Once spring rolled around, I was working a full-time job as a producer as well as doing pre-production on three large-scale projects. I said ‘yes’ to them all because they were the next great opportunities. Subsequently, my relationships suffered. I was on a set when my grandfather passed and had to be out of town for another two weeks. I hadn’t seen him in several months because I was always too busy.
When the last film wrapped in August, I was drained, I felt like a shell of my former self. I got covid and was sidelined for over a week. After a year and a half, I had finally exhausted myself. I was burned out. For once, I let myself rest. In that week I reflected a lot on my performance that summer. I did a good job, but I didn’t feel like I had hit my own mark of excellence. I took on too much, and my performance suffered. I lost time with my grandparents that I can’t get back and neglected my relationships. The idea of success that contained both quantity and quality that I created for myself wasn’t sustainable. I knew that if I continued working this way, my performance would continue to suffer. I would suffer.
A fellow producer, Liz Cardenas, changed my perspective. Over the summer she told me: “most people work in a reactive state instead of a proactive state.” At first, it was just a simple statement, but it started to gain new importance in my life. I needed to stop reacting to what was presented to me; saying ‘yes’ to every great opportunity is impossible to sustain. I have to be proactive, assessing what I can handle and when I'm at capacity. I have to set boundaries.
This situation was my own doing. Being a filmmaker is all about balance, and I didn’t care to have any. It led to a depressed, lonely, and joy-deprived version of myself. I gave all I had to the movies I was making. Don’t get me wrong, I love every single one of the films, and I don’t regret them - I only regret not setting boundaries for myself. If I had asked for help, support, or a day off, no one would have minded. They actually would have been more than happy to help, but I put more and more work on my plate to benefit my career and to appear strong. To some extent, it led to success, but it also left my life imbalanced which made me a less efficient producer.
In life, burnout and poor balance are somewhat inevitable. You may say ‘yes’ to the next great opportunity without realizing your own capacity, or maybe you work instead of attending a birthday party. We aren’t perfect. and we don’t always make the right choices. All we can do is be proactive in our own lives and make time for all of the things in life that truly matter.
ALTERNATIVE SOUNDTRACKS
[BY: LAUREN PATCHETT]
Sometimes I hear songs and instead of relating them to my own life, I relate them to the characters or plots of certain films. In this series, I’ll pick songs that could’ve been used in the movie - mostly because of hyper-specific lyrics.
500 Days of Summer (Webb, 2009) & “Dónde Está La Playa” by The Walkmen
The Scene:
The Song:
“I crashed up a party, nickels and dimes
A handful of strangers, all friends of mine
I know that you're married, ring’s on your hand
So I didn't stay 'til the end”
NEW RELEASE REVIEW
[BY: SAM MCKENNEY]
Creed III (Jordan, 2023)
If America has a classic underdog story, it is the Rocky franchise. With each film more punches are thrown, more blood is lost, and victory seems more and more unattainable. With the newest entry in the franchise - coming off the heels of a reinvention of sorts with the previous two films following Adonis Creed, son of Apollo Creed rather than the Philadelphia kid himself, Rocky Balboa - this latest film is somewhat of an underdog tale itself. Could it fulfill the promises and expectations of a film in the Rocky series without Rocky himself? And, to top it off, could it succeed with a first-time filmmaker at the helm? The answer to those questions is a resounding ‘yes.’ The film has been met with widespread critical acclaim as well as box office success as it had the highest grossing opening weekend of not only the entire Rocky franchise but for any sports movie ever, raking in $58.6 million in its first three days. Starring director Michael B. Jordan as the titular Adonis Creed and the absolutely electric Jonathan Majors as Dame Anderson, the film follows Adonis a few years after his retirement from fighting as he is reintroduced to a ghost from his past and the demons he brings with him. Adonis must decide whether to face these demons and allow his past trauma and wounds to heal, or to keep beating them down, adding another scar to his collection.
Having an anime influence is a phrase that is thrown around quite flippantly in today's media landscape, and it was heard once again when Jordan was talking about how he filmed the boxing scenes this time around; but oh boy does he deliver here. Not only are these the best fight scenes in the franchise, they are definitely the best fight scenes I have seen in a boxing film (maybe outside of Raging Bull, but that is doing something entirely different than this movie is). Jordan and his D.P. (Kramer Morgenthau) team up to pull off some amazing stuff, always keeping the camera in the ring with the fighters, giving it this intimate but violent feeling that is rarely combined well in other fighting movies. That mixed with the sound design (you really feel like the punches are happening right there in front of you) really puts the viewer in the ring with the fighters in an incredible way. There are a couple slow-motion sequences, specifically one in the final fight (you’ll know it when you see it), that are just jaw-dropping and worth the price of admission alone. It really was a huge swing from a first-time director like MBJ, but he pulls it off, and I cannot wait to see more films from him.
Jordan may be handling things behind the camera, but in front, Jonathan Majors is the star of the show. I am ready to make the argument that Majors is breaking records when looking at the ratio of acting ability in relation to how many muscles you have: when looking back at all the famous muscular actors, none have the eyes that Majors does nor the mix of pure energy and raw understated emotion. He has the thespian side down, as well as muscles for his body, and the movie is all the better for it.
While Creed III is a fun ride throughout the entire runtime, it isn’t without faults. There is a little bit of awkwardness with the dance around Rocky’s character, as he is never brought up even once. I don’t have a problem with him not being there, but the lack of mention of the character who was so integral to the previous two films, as well as the titular character of the franchise preceding this entry, felt strange and pulled me out of the film at times. The drama and script was weaker than earlier editions of the series (the grittier, more street-level feel of Ryan Coogler’s original Creed is really hard to follow up), but the pure excitement and energy of the boxing scenes more than made up for any of these shortcomings.
I have always been a fan of Jordan’s charisma and persona as a performer, and now I’m an equally huge fan of his eye behind the camera. He has my season tickets, that is for sure.
UPCOMING EVENTS
ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED (Poitras, 2022)
WHAT: An epic, emotional, and interconnected story about internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin. 2023 Academy Award Nominee: Best Documentary Feature.
WHEN: Sunday, March 19th, 2:00pm
WHERE: The Wealthy Theatre
And so we’ve arrived at the end of another BEAM FROM THE BOOTH! We appreciate you taking the time to read it and truly hope you’ll continue to do so. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to get each issue in your inbox every FRIDAY and stay up-to-date on all things GRFS!
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Look for ISSUE #6 in your inbox NEXT FRIDAY, 3/17!
Until then, friends…
