Cain Rose Up on IMDB

I woke up this morning to find that Cain Rose Up has been added to IMDB. Check it out and if you've seen the film please rate it.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3870937/

Cain Rose Up - Screening

On April 9th Cain Rose Up premiered with 10 other films in a special screening for the graduating seniors of Occidental College. Our 800 person theater filled up within minutes of the doors opening and audience members had to be turned away at the door because the theater could not accommodate any more attendees. I was shocked, my producer (Madison Murphy) told me before we started that her dream was to have the theater fill to the point where people had to sit on the floor. Well, that's what happened.

At 8:15 we walked on stage and did our intro. 10 minutes later the films started. Cain Rose Up was 7th in the lineup with no other horror film to be shown that night. As soon as my first song began the crowd silenced. There was a feeling of uneasiness from the very get go. I've seen the film countless times so my attention was on the crowd. I was very curious to see how they responded to the piece. About 5 minutes in the silence became eerie. I couldn't figure out if people were engrossed in the piece or bored. It was super tense for me. Then came the final scene. As it builds I could feel people edging on their seats. They were hoping that this was a big setup and that the twist would be that Curt doesn't pull the trigger. How wrong they were. As soon as the first shot pops off the silence was broken. I have never been in a theater with that many people gasping at once. It wasn't a scream but a sound of utter shock. It was a very powerful moment for me because it was what I was hoping this film would achieve times 10. Absolutly unbelievable.

Cain Rose Up Official Trailer (2010)

Cain Rose Up Official Trailer (2010) from Jeven Dovey on Vimeo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4wof0MC7aI


Logline: Who has the final say when it comes to morality? Curt Garrish believes his twisted view on life trumps even Gods guiding light.

Based on a short story by Stephen King

Adapted and Directed by Jeven Dovey

Cain Rose Up - Picture Lock

I have finished a picture lock for Cain Rose Up. I've received a good response from the film thus far. People are shocked at the ending and I haven't even began to work on the sound or color.

Keep checking back for updates.

www.cainroseupmovie.com

Moving to Vimeo

I've decided to move my films from Youtube to Vimeo. I enjoy the interface much more and the site is more for the display of films rather than funny viral videos. Also you are able to upload films longer than 10 minutes. Check out my vimeo below.

The Moral Life (2009) from Jeven Dovey on Vimeo.

Cain Rose Up - Updates

Cain Rose Up is currently being edited. I took some time away from this project to get some fresh eyes when going into editing.

I have some new projects coming up and things are getting crazy so I'll try to update this as much as possible but for the next few months I am going to be working on a few different projects.

Keep checking back for new videos.

5 Gallons of blood...

On set for Cain Rose Up we had a five gallon bucket of blood. The parking lot was filled. Friends walked by the set with no idea what was going on. The shock on their face was priceless. They walked up to me as I held my camera, "Wow, that's alot of blood." They would stand and stare as we rolled cameras not sure how to take in the scene we were shooting.

Working on this set was super fun but at the same time horrifying. We were creating a film that has such a strong connection to today's world, especially with the recent shootings, so in that respect is was very terrifying contrasting the enjoyment in creating the movie. For me as the writer/driector, I battled with the intesety of the subject material and lost sleep many nights trying to figure out what the right way to portray the scenes of violance were. My professor challeneged me to come up with reasoning for showing carrnage especially after the image of the Hollocaust and the film Night & Fog is still burned in our memory. However, in the end, I found it neccessary to show this horrible act and shoot it in a way that connects with reality. I've added bits to the script that were needed to take my critique to the next level and I believe that the changes have taken kings original story to a new level and bringing up more issues for today.

Everyone that has had a chance to read the script asks me for the original story right after. One of my big questions when writing was, "how do I stay true to Kings story while still adding my own thoughts and ideas?" It was difficult, however, with the reaction so far, I beileve I have pushed the story in a way that will come off strong in a theater while still staying true to Kings words.

This pool of blood the character David is standing in was created from our first gag. This was before we started dumping the blood for the final shots.

Wise words from Alex Cox

If you do not know who Alex Cox is I suggest looking him up. He is a radical independent director who uses film to give a view on the world that is opposed to the institutional truth which blinds us like a veil. I am currently studying his film Repo Man and its modification of LA as a dystopia in the wake of the nuclear bomb and creation of the neutron bomb. The film is a reaction to state of the world in the 80's and provides an odd look at the dangers of life. A very memorable scene in the film is when Otto goes home to his parents house to ask for money and they have become slaves to religious TV sending all his college funds to the 800 number on the screen. This small instance is one of many aspects that make this film so compelling. Alex said himself that in todays world you will never be able to make such a politically charged movie on a studios budget becuase no one wants you to cause ripples in the pond of reality we live in. For any independent filmmaker, you need to go pick up his book "X Films - Confesions of a Ratical filmmaker." In this book he gives you a first person perspective of how he directed 10 films and various insites while dealing with the process of each. One of the major points I derived from reading his books is this, "it occurred to me that it isn't waht you achieve that matters. What counts is how you comport yourself. Loathing the contest, I still love the ritual, so I remain." (Cox, 298) Being the last line in the book, this moment shows what it takes to be an independent filmmaker. It's tough and working through the system is even tougher, however, if you continue to love it and enjoy making the films then there is no reason to ever stop. There is always a way to get your message out even if it means making no budget films with a group of friends rather than huge studio blockbusters.

Repo Man:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087995/



X Films:
http://www.amazon.com/Films-True-Confessions-Radical-Filmmaker/dp/1593761937/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258530144&sr=8-1

Cain Rose Up - Production Wrapped

Production is finished on Cain Rose Up! After 5 long days of shooting we got all the footage. It has been a fun and crazy shoot. We finished on Sunday with the final scene in the story where Curt is shooting his peers from his dorm room. Below are three of the characters during this scene in the parking lot. This was the first time I've been able to work with physical effects and it was a blast. Many people would rather have digital effects, the idea being "we'll just fix it in post," however, I think there is a very real quality about doing the actual effects and it is a ton of fun to work with on set.


2 years working on this film and it's finally shot. I'm really pleased with everything that I got and I think we created some cool looking scenes. I reviewed some of the footage last night and the clips from the parking lot are terrifying because of how real they feel.


I want to thank everyone that has put in countless hours helping make this film a reality. We have gone through so much and crossed so much red tape on campus to be able to get this film shot. There was a point a few weeks ago where I thought the school wasn't going to actually let me film. However, we worked everything out, wrote proposal after proposal and got this script actualized.



Now comes the task of editing, sound mixing, ADR, effects, score, etc. I'm taking a break and distancing myself from the piece so that I will be able to come back to it with fresh eyes. After dealing with so much on set I know I will be bias in which shots "must" make it in the film yet in reality you need to 'kill your babies' when editing. It's hard to drop shots that took hours to get, but if they don't move the film along its gotta go.


I will be posting more updates and information about this film. Keep checking back!

(Photos courtesy of Evan and Mitch)