Sundance 2007 -- Day 7

Eagle vs. Shark, New Zealand, written and directed by Taika Waititi, starring Loren Horsley, who also helped with the original story. A kind of Napolean Dynamite for twenty-somethings. Very funny. Also touching at moments, especially the animated interludes, which evocatively amplified, without having to resort to words, the themes of loneliness, longing, not belonging, and love with a parallel, wordless story about two apples. Also, some cool pixilation (stop motion with real people).

I keep up in a small way on digital advances with the annual panel about new cameras. Even Directors of Photography (DPs) can't keep up on everything and need to rely on experts they can trust. Sundance regular Nancy Schrieber, DP for the popular The Nines at Sundance this year, shot each of the three parts in a different format: Super 16, Standard Def, and 35mm 3-perf. Andrew Wagner, director of Starting Out in the Evening used HD. He found that not using expensive and time-limited film allowed him to concentrate on the performances, especially by continuing to roll between takes. One director claims that digital saves him and hour and a half every day because people get coffee when you say cut and reload. Lynn Hirschman, director of Strange Culture, says a third of her finished film comprises footage from between takes. Thomas Kist, DP of the remake of Interview even likes to shoot on a disk instead of a tape so that with a push of a button you can go back one take and show the director. He also feels there's less pressure about time w/ digital, the actors don't feel like the film's always going to run out any second (although Nancy says the number of shooting days is the more important factor regarding feeling rushed). And he lit so that the actors were free to move around. Lisa Wiegand, DP of Chasing Ghosts, likes all of this freedom, yet she also likes that film forces you to make choices while you're shooting, especially versus multiple-cameras on a digital shoot.

After the panel, Jeffrey Winter, the director of the New Frontier at Main, which hosts all the digital-oriented panels, and remembers me from year to year, wanted to chat with me a bit after the panel. He asked me to help him get the word out to Dominicans and San Diego churchgoers about one of the films his distribution company is putting out, about Jesus appearing in a tortilla. He's a really nice guy. I'm happy to help.

In the evening, I saw Zoe's Cassavette's film Broken English. It was funny but slight. However, Parker Posey, who was in perhaps every scene but two, lifted the film to indie heights of quirk. She's amazing -- there's constantly something happening on her face. I was really disappointed Parker wasn't there for Q&A.