Sundance, Day 5: Kevin Bacon, Steve Buscemi, and a $500 Exec!

Today is Tuesday.

My friend Blaine Thurier (Director of Male Fantasy and member of The New Pornographers) volunteered to help as my camera man. We panhandled for producers on the sidewalk for awhile, and at some point we saw Steve Buscemi walking down the sidewalk and caught up to him. Steve, ever so slightly amused, laughed at our pitch, but he didn't stop walking; we told him he could be a producer for $1 and said that was more than he could handle cuz he had just given his last buck to the waitress at the bar... So Blaine, in a moment of true generosity, offered to loan Mr. Buscemi a dollar. Steve accepted, referring to Blaine as his "benefactor." Taking Blaine's buck, he then gave it back to us, placing it in our money tin. He stopped just long enough to sign our signup list and get his one free business card.

The deal was done.

Afterward, reflecting on the moment, I was saying to Blaine that it didn't feel quite right to get producers that way. But Blaine said, "look man, it's one dollar, and it was a loan. Plus, it's Steve Buscemi."

In the long run I guess $1 is a small price to pay to have Steve Buscemi attached to our project. But for the record, i didn't give it to him; it was Blaine. And I think Blaine hopes to get his dollar back someday.

I guess it was sort of like a gift credit; it's getting pretty common for people do buy other people credits as gifts. I mean, Samuel Jackson bought his doughter a $10 Producer credit, and he didn't even buy a credit for himself. Now that's a self-less act. As for Steve Buscemi, the symbolism of the gesture was still there, I mean, he did put the dollar in our can himself. the art of the deal.

Then we snuck into another party just for a chance to pitch Kevin Bacon. i was really into the idea of closing the "6 degrees to Kevin Bacon" to just 1 degree. This party had a guest list as well, but i tried the direct approach cuz the doorman was pretty cool. I told him we had to get inside so we could pitch Kevin Bacon our 1 Second Film. He made us wait, but we eventually were let inside. We spotted Kevin, and pitched him the film. He was into it and donated $10. His biggest concern was that his name would be spelled correctly and be listed above Buscemi. it was pretty funny. Blaine shot it on video; digital still camera still wasn't working.

Pretty excited to have Kevin Bacon as a full-fledged producer. Feels like a small intersection with pop culture.

In other adventures, I sold a credit to a random stranger on the sidewalk. He was in his 50s, white beard, cigarette. He was interested in the concept so we talked a bit and he decided to give me $1. Then he signed his name "David Best" with a .05 micron pen. It was another 'Brett Ratner moment'- I was like David Best?! Didn't you create the Temple of Joy at Burning Man?" I call it a Brett Ratner moment because when I was in Toronto, I pitched the 1 Second Film to a random guy in the lobby of The Four Seasons hotel. He had seen me selling a credit to an 8 year old and asked me what I was doing. I told him 'High Concept stuff, you don't want to know.' But he insisted that he did in fact want to know, so I pitched him the film. He really liked the business cards and wanted to get an entire set, so he threw down a hundred bucks and signed his name "Brett Ratner." I was like, "You're Brett Ratner?!" You never know who you might be talking to. Anyway...

David Best creates these beautiful epic monuments that tens of thousands of people help him build, and then they burn it one week later. David's creations are in the very same vain as the concept behind The 1 Second Film; Burning Man itself is very much an inspiration of this project. The idea of collaborating with thousands of people, compressing time and energy, to create something beautiful yet temporary. David and I discussed perfect moments and also his latest sculpture project. He is working with 10,000 people to build an elaborate shelter for a single day laborer. He will be building it around February 1st in the San Francisco Bay area- keep an eye out for it if you are in that area.

Then I went to a tourist shop and bartered to get a $62 ski-lift ticket in exchange for a producer credit. i've wanted to go snow boarding at least once while im out here, so now i don't have any excuse. later that night we went to some party with Craig's crew from Unleashed Magazine. Inside the party, I sold a credit to Marcus Shirock- this guy, I saw him on the sidewalk in a mink coat who wouldn't even take a flier; but now I have snuck into some VIP party. He is friends with Brett Ratner; he threw in ten bucks. But then this guy from the press (Wired Magazine) outbid him. Then Marco went up another buck and guy went up again. Marco, wearing his mink coat, got outbid. It was pretty funny.

We almost got kicked out because we were making a scene on the red carpet and the photographers were missing some celebrity shots. But then we smoothed things out by giving the party planner and all the security guards comp Associate Producer credits, including Big Ed who works the door. Now these guys work the doors at this spot every night, so we have a pretty good chance of getting in the next time we need to.

Then D.C. and his crew from Unleashed Magazine gave us $500.01 to be our biggest single Executive Producer so far. They put the credit in the name of Ha Loco's rap group: Pomona City Ridaz. I asked Ha what he would make if he had to make a 1 second film, and he replied "a one second drive-by."
Ha is hilarious; Craig met them a few days ago in his hotel and has been off riding snow mobiles and getting wasted with them everyday (while i'm on the streets scrounging change and grabbing one-handed interviews with 007.) But I have to hand it to Craig, he keeps bringing in the big dollar Execs.

Bob Odenkirk left, but we still have one more night in this condo courtesy of the Sundance Channel. so im getting to move from the couch to Bob's master suite: there is a canopy bed, a fireplace, and a bath with those nice jets. pretty nice, considering I had no idea where i was going to sleep when i came out here. so, its 4 in the morning. should get a good nights sleep for a few hours- then need to get up early and pack. then move to Blaine's place: he has a fold-out-floor that im gonna crash on.