all of yesterday I played the part of a participant in a thinly veiled version of Landmark. the most challenging part involved me screaming abuse at the main character and at the camera representing her POV. (in the film we go off in groups of four with three yelling of us yelling at the fourth person.) I screamed so long and much that I can only talk in a croaky rasp today.

Natalie, the film-maker made the movie as her film thesis project for Harvard. it either doesn't have a definite title or it does and I forget it. I actually haven't read the full script. the dialogue in the the "in group" scenes, we improvised. it will premiere on January 2009.

because I had other things to do Saturday (though I seriously thought of not doing other social things Saturday so that I could appear on Saturday) so I only acted all day Sunday.

notes: the film will have the forum leader reading rules and participants all agreeing to them after the forum leader browbeats the dissenters. (no one leaves as a result, though Natalie considered having that happen. for some trivial reason, it didn't, though, so in the movie, no leaves before their time. I think that may have had to do with making the group look full in the film when she had relatively few extras.) at another point a trust exercise where participants say "I trust you/don't trust you", pillow beating, the fishbowl/bullbaiting exercise (three people screaming at a fourth). maybe one or two scenes, I don't know.

-- the actor who played the forum leader did a superb job. absolutely perfect. she portrayed both the attractive and charismatic and the controlling parts of the character. (I just realized that I may have confused her real name with the character's name, so I won't try to name the actress.)

-- shooting at a rented hotel room masquerading as a rented hotel room made the atmosphere very authentic (no pun intended). with curtains drawn, we couldn't tell the time. I could only guess at how much time had passed or the time of day unless I went outside. (I didn't bother to look at the time. not method acting here, I just didn't bother or care.)

-- not having gone through the bullbaiting exercise in real life (or even in the film as I did not end up play-acting that) I wonder how well I would stand up and what would "break me". nothing, I suspect, though I won't pay $450 to Landmark to find out.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2008 01:58AM by Acid Reindeer.

actually I think an actor named Patricia played a forum leader named Lisa. (I hope I don't have that the wrong way round.)

I hope you will send it out for us to see someday. Very cool!

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Acid Reindeer
all of yesterday I played the part of a participant in a thinly veiled version of Landmark. the most challenging part involved me screaming abuse at the main character and at the camera representing her POV. (in the film we go off in groups of four with three yelling of us yelling at the fourth person.) I screamed so long and much that I can only talk in a croaky rasp today.

Natalie, the film-maker made the movie as her film thesis project for Harvard. it either doesn't have a definite title or it does and I forget it. I actually haven't read the full script. the dialogue in the the "in group" scenes, we improvised. it will premiere on January 2009.

because I had other things to do Saturday (though I seriously thought of not doing other social things Saturday so that I could appear on Saturday) so I only acted all day Sunday.

notes: the film will have the forum leader reading rules and participants all agreeing to them after the forum leader browbeats the dissenters. (no one leaves as a result, though Natalie considered having that happen. for some trivial reason, it didn't, though, so in the movie, no leaves before their time. I think that may have had to do with making the group look full in the film when she had relatively few extras.) at another point a trust exercise where participants say "I trust you/don't trust you", pillow beating, the fishbowl/bullbaiting exercise (three people screaming at a fourth). maybe one or two scenes, I don't know.

-- the actor who played the forum leader did a superb job. absolutely perfect. she portrayed both the attractive and charismatic and the controlling parts of the character. (I just realized that I may have confused her real name with the character's name, so I won't try to name the actress.)

-- shooting at a rented hotel room masquerading as a rented hotel room made the atmosphere very authentic (no pun intended). with curtains drawn, we couldn't tell the time. I could only guess at how much time had passed or the time of day unless I went outside. (I didn't bother to look at the time. not method acting here, I just didn't bother or care.)

-- not having gone through the bullbaiting exercise in real life (or even in the film as I did not end up play-acting that) I wonder how well I would stand up and what would "break me". nothing, I suspect, though I won't pay $450 to Landmark to find out.

I'd like to find out more about this as well.

Is it still planned for a January 2009 film premiere? If so, will that premiere be at Harvard, and will there be a way to obtain copies of the film?

what was the purpose for this film?

all I mean is..when I think of this film being filmed in the almost too perfectly staged scenario of Landmark 'glory' or satire--- I can just 'hear' the eery voice of the female vocalist in the theme to 'Black Hawk Down' (with Hans Zimmer), wailing inaudibly in the back ground....but that's just my perception on any work 'well done' in the name of, or for Landmark Ed...sorry.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/01/2008 06:41PM by ON2 LF.

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ajinajan
Is it still planned for a January 2009 film premiere?

as far as I know. meaning that I haven't heard otherwise. Also, I imagine that Harvard thesis films premiere at the same time each year. I further conjecture that this will happen at the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, which Harvard owns. the Carpenter Center has a small art gallery and also shows a couple of movies a day. it will also show at least two film festivals. (sorry, I don't have names.)

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If so, will that premiere be at Harvard, and will there be a way to obtain copies of the film?

I don't know the answer to the last question.

BTW, I have since found that Patricia King-Davies played the Werner Erhard-esque forum leader. as I said, she did a superlative job.

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ON2 LF
all I mean is..when I think of this film being filmed in the almost too perfectly staged scenario of Landmark 'glory' or satire---

you'd have needed a higher budget and more preparation and more actors to recreate it accurately. for instance, it would take a lot of work to make the inches exactly 4.67 inches away from each other at all times (or whatever the specification says). also, it didn't have volunteers assisting and discouraging you from leading. to give only two examples.

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ON2 LF
what was the purpose for this film?

I won't say. the director might get mad at me if I did. (probably not, but not so I'd risk it.)

BTW, the film has the working (final?) title "Pushing Upwards".

Acid Reindeer, please keep us posted as to this film and it's release date and release title. I assume it is an indie.

Thanks for keeping all of us posted.