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Inside-Out, Outside-In

~ Every journey worth taking…starts on the inside.

Inside-Out, Outside-In

Tag Archives: Script Development

Halloween: The Soul Revealed through Costume, then Squashed

01 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by hunterlh in Development, The Script

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analyzing halloween costumes, Da-Sein, existential messenger of death, existenZ, halloween, Heidegger, herd instinct, hunter lee hughes, karl jaspers, robin as a halloween costume, Script Development

It doesn’t take a social scientist to recognize that a Halloween costume is rarely just that. It’s not random. People must select, on some basis, what they will wear for Halloween. No where was this phenomenon more on display that at the annual Halloween festivities in West Hollywood, probably the single best attended event in the city (with perhaps Pride in June as a close competitor). In the gay world of WeHo last night (which by the way was at least 60% straight), Halloween was a High Holiday and the most common costume was that of Robin, sidekick to Batman. I also saw couples having fun with the concept of “twinning” – both dressing up as prisoners, both as cave men and, in one case, both dressing up as zombies with ‘sex for brains.’ There were some couples that had related but opposite costumes, such as Devil with Angel, Cop with Criminal, Master with Slave, etc. One wonders if these are the accurate psychic representations of the relationship or if they are toying with inhabiting the opposite role for a night (a friend told me he’d once dressed up as a slave to a dominatrix when in fact he held all the power in the relationship). But either way, the selection of the costume means something about who you are and your relationship to your self and others (Know that whenever you are at a Halloween function, psychologists and artists are having a lot of fun looking into your subconscious). Some people are relieved from the stress of choosing to represent themselves as an individual and dress up as whole groups – there was one group of friends that dressed up as the Scooby Doo clan and another group that all dressed up as Waldo from the ‘Where’s Waldo?’ posters. Then, there are those that create or select something that is their costume alone – whether a witch or zombie or fairy or something else of their own creation (inspired by my existentialism class, I wore a black suit, black shirt, red tie, black mask, carried my textbook and went as an ‘Existential Messenger of Death’). And, of course, there are those that choose to wear no costume at all, which in and of itself is another interesting choice. You cannot say nothing about yourself on Halloween, like it or not.

That’s what is truly eerie about Halloween – it’s an opportunity to reflect unseen layers of our psyche for ourselves and others to see. But this potentiality is so powerful that the herd instinct in us rises up to prevent Halloween from its illuminative potential and turns it into the most mundane and meaningless holiday of them all. It starts out as a curious conundrum for the psyche and turns into a boozing mass of conformists confronted with one makeshift hot dog stand after another, all selling the same thing.

There’s an argument to be made that a Halloween costume reveals our own ExistenZ’s struggle to express itself. Karl Jaspers describes ExistenZ as the being inside that fights against “mundane being.” From my understanding, it’s the authentic, transcendent self that takes its cues not from the world and the demands of the world, but from its own essence (a force for the purposes of my movie that I will describe as “Inside-Out”). Maybe it’s the tricky psychic force within that inspires you to dress up as Peter Pan for Halloween in the midst of your Puer Aeternus complex (so you might get a clue). But another powerful force is at work on Halloween. Nietzsche and a host of others identified the concept of a “herd instinct” which some, like Martin Heidegger, believe also exists in some form within each individual whether they are currently engaging with a herd or sitting by themselves (a force for the purposes of my movie that I will describe as “Outside-In”). Maybe it’s the powerful messaging you receive to be like your peers that compels you to gather en masse, drink, have fun and observe the unspoken social contract of what it means to enjoy a Halloween festival.

Heidegger argues that the primal potentialities of the soul are “leveled down” by idle talk and concerns of people on a “group level.” An individual’s instinct to subject itself to the mentality of the herd mitigates the fear of that person’s inward ExistenZ potential…and its impermanence. The herd instinct most fears death. It is something that is processed on a group level that protects the group from processing impermanence on a soul level. The herd tells you what to do when death occurs, but it allows you to avoid associating it with your own eventuality. As Heidegger explains, death happens, but in a strange way it doesn’t happen to you when you’re in the herd. It might sound nice to be protected from the reality of death, but the herd also protects you from considering how your own death might change – and even liberate – your life with all its potential.

Now, back to Halloween…so just when your ExistenZ bubbles up to the surface and demands you choose a ridiculous costume because it desperately wants to show you something about yourself that you simply can’t see, the herd instinct swells with its zombie-like message from the outside: drink, drink more, friends, idle talk, bullshit, HOT DOGS!, other friends, drink, sex, sex, sex, sleep. It is a slumber that costs the transcendent lesson that the ExistenZ made available through the selection of the costume in the first place. It is a slumber that keeps at bay ExistenZ and the reality of our own death…during a holiday that supposedly highlights it.

And so I walked into West Hollywood last night as the “Existential Messenger of Death,” selecting someone in the crowd, usually someone not wearing a costume, that I would then stealthily approach and say, “Happy Last Halloween. End of Days is here. You have been Chosen.” Then, I would walk away, just slowly enough to see either a mocking insolence or disturbed agitation register on their face.

I saw it as my responsibility to inject the idea of Death back into Halloween. People deserve some Dread. Not just because death is part of Halloween, but because feeling the angst of death is the best hope that an individual will throw off their herd mentality and turn towards the inner potential waiting for them to create a uniquely amazing life.

My movie is currently titled, “Inside-Out, Outside-In.” But when you see it (sometime in 2014 with any luck) I hope it might earn the reputation of, “Existential Messenger of Death.”

This essay is the third in a series on the themes of “Inside-Out, Outside-In.” The first two are available on the site and include, “Is Cool cool? Reflections on the New Religion” and “Mutual Self-Interest vs. Love (and why Dr. Phil and Oprah have it wrong).”

—

Hunter Lee Hughes is a filmmaker and actor living and working in Los Angeles and the founder of Fatelink. His current feature film Guys Reading Poems is touring film festivals and this blog is dedicated to the process of making his second feature film, “Inside-Out, Outside-In.” If you enjoy the blog, please support our team by following us on Facebook, Twitter (@Fatelink) or Instagram (@Fatelink).

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Choreography, Part 2: Ashley Osler pinch hits on movement…and so much more.

11 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by hunterlh in Interviews

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Ashley Osler, auditioning, choreographers, choreography, choreography for film, Christos Vass, hunter lee hughes, independent film, independent filmmaking, inside-out-outside-in, Jamie Benson, movement for actors, ojai, Script Development

Once Jamie Benson left for NYC and Nameless Actor dropped out, I was temporarily without a choreographer AND a lead actor to workshop the climatic scene from ‘Inside-Out, Outside-In.’ Things quickly changed when charming Greek actor Christos Vass stepped in to play the lead role and choreographer/coach Ashley Osler answered her phone and promptly said, “Of course I’ll help you with that!” Ashley, an alum of Larry Moss and frequent previous collaborator (she did the choreography for The Sermons of John Bradley and helped me develop a striptease-type movement for Fate of the Monarchs), is an unheralded gem in terms of understanding how the expression of the body relates to the needs, desires and psychology of a character. We chatted a bit about what it’s like to choreograph movement and help in the development of a project from the ground up.

Hunter: By the time we linked up on this project, Jamie (our original choreographer) had moved to NYC and the first actor had dropped out of the workshopping of the climatic scene, leaving us in a position to bring on a new actor without the benefit of a choreographer.  So that’s where you came in!  After Ivana put Christos and I together on the scene, I originally brought you in to consult on the movement that we were doing, but it sort of organically grew into more than that.  After that first rehearsal, what did you feel about the piece and its potential?  And how did that relate to the movement aspect of things?

Ashley: I got so excited about the scene and the characters’ needs. It was so compelling to see it on its feet. I was trying to understand what you had written by exploring some different ways of moving to express the subtext. I left feeling that there was more to find but that a few layers had been peeled by infusing the movement with deeper script analysis. Because the movement/physicality can be so telling….letting the audience know maybe more than the characters do at that point, I felt there was potential for a very dynamic scene.

As we spoke about the scene in the days following I realized that the physical connection had to be so intense…electric…..and that was one of he conflicts both characters. Then on top of it they have to rehearse a hot dance number while trying to be nonchalant because they both needed something so badly. Good scene!!!

Hunter: Sometimes I feel a little nuts workshopping individual scenes from a screenplay – it’s not necessarily the traditional approach for sure.  Do you think there’s value in these type of workshops?  What can be gained from workshopping scenes?  What, if anything, did you think we learned during this experience?

Ashley: I didn’t get to see the scene workshopped yet but wish I could have! All together I think workshoppig is very important for perspective….getting it into your body  with the juice of an audience is an important part of the process of understanding what you have written. Even though it’s on the page already it’s still writing itself in this part of the process.

Hunter: The story deals, in part, with characters facing tough decisions about how to navigate the “Hollywood” and “independent film” environments here in Los Angeles.  I love the story you told about not feeling right about going to commercial auditions, if you feel like telling that one! 🙂 But seriously, have you seen any friends lose themselves in a struggle to manifest their creative work here?  How do you stay true to yourself as an artist while pursuing filmmaking or acting?

Ashley: Oh my goodness I’m having a brain fart…probably an audition where it was like a conceptual art exhibit – one side of the room all blonds and the other all brunette clearly divided and I was lost in the sea of blonds and said, “Yuck!” I just figured I’d rather take the time it took to run to those auditions to read plays or prepare a scene for class….I was lucky to be in a great scene study class back then and I knew that teacher wouldn’t be there forever so that’s were I put my energy. You can die with some money in the bank from an Arby’s commercial, which is selling poison to people…or you can feed your soul with literature and take it with you……easier to audition in NYC. All the driving in LA is monstrous and made it even more absurd. Commercials – Humf!

Anyway auditions can eat you alive unless you make them auditions for life experience. It’s not about getting chosen and you can’t wait to get chosen. When I first started going out I was not prepared at all for the language of the casting process – it was so foreign to the creative process of acting. I learned we can’t audition without being crystal clear on script analysis so the choices are supported and powerful and you can feel your teeth in it.

Stella Adler said something like you have to have the soul of a rose and the hide of an rhinoceros to be in the buisness…well I didn’t know how tough the skin of a rhino was and I just went out with my fragrant rose and got a big surprise.

Hunter: Another big part of the story is reincarnation and karma.  Do you believe in reincarnation yourself?  One of my struggles is how to delve into a subject like reincarnation without staying on the surface or relying on cliches.  Any advice?

Ashley: Yes I do. I have done some past life regression sessions which were amazing. Also had some interesting experiences living on Kauai which took me to a past life there. Karma is created in every thought we have. Most think that it’s only our actions. We are more powerful than we know. Each and every thought is creating Karma. It is great you are writing on this subject. We are very immature in the West about this. I believe until we can teach death as beautiful part of life there will be no peace. I say keep experinecing and studying….read more plays and stories about death to feel the emotions…..check out, “Tibetan Book of the Dead.” (Author’s note:  Actually I did – it’s on my reading list here).

Hunter:  So for our readers out there who don’t know Christos or myself, how would you describe us as actors or as people?  Did you feel there was an interesting dynamic there?  Why or why not?

Ashley: Well, you both are so smart and willing and courageous. I would love to spend hours with you two playing. I think you are fine actors!!!  Yes, I do think there is a very interesting dynamic……What translates from you both being open and curious and wanting to know could be naturally adopted into your characters. Watching you two as actors was just as interesting as watching the characters.

Hunter: You are big on textual analysis and allowing that to impact the movement.  Can you tell me a little about your process here?

Ashley:  Oops didn’t know you were going to ask this…well I kind of hit that above. One thing I would add is that for you as the writer/actor it’s a trip because you have to live this parallel universe sort of existence…writing it…thinking you know what it is and then growing in it as the actor writer and watching it change and grow…..what a special experience.

Hunter:  Finally, you’ve gotten out of town recently (I have this effect on choreographers….) and moved to Ojai.  How’s it going up there and what’s it like?

Ashley: That is so funny. Well at least the first guy is in NYC waiting to embarce you and show you around when you get there!! Not much happening in Ojai as a career move for you as an actor. As a writer, it’s just what I wanted. I really had a hard time focusing in the city. I am sensitive to all that energy. I can write in NYC but not so much in LA. Up here the land feels supportive and we’re in a quiet part of town  Private so I can go into my imagination and feel I won’t be disturbed by black hawk hellicopters or the children thay have as slaves nowadays ringing doorbells with magazie subsrcitions etc etc bless their little souls…God and those lousy leaf-blowers…Don’t get me started…needless to say I think Ojai is going to be “berry berry good for me,” as Garrett Morse used to say on SNL.

To contact choreographer and acting coach Ashley Osler, you can reach her at aosler7@gmail.com.

—

Hunter Lee Hughes is a filmmaker living and working in Los Angeles and the founder of Fatelink. His current feature film Guys Reading Poems is touring film festivals and this blog is dedicated to the process of making his second feature film, “Inside-Out, Outside-In.” If you enjoy the blog, please support our team by following us on Facebook, Twitter (@Fatelink) or Instagram (@Fatelink).

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So where are we, kid?

20 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by hunterlh in Development

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all that jazz, betty jones, bob fosse, dumbass filmmakers!, inside-out, inside-out-outside-in, ivana chubbuck, meditation, meditation retreat, private equity investor, Script Development, webseries, winner takes all

In January, 2010, I went on a meditation retreat, led by local spiritual guru Betty Jones. Sandwiched in between the production of a short (“Winner Takes All“) and a webseries (“Dumbass Filmmakers!“), it was designed to be a much-needed break from the demands of the material world and, especially, Los Angeles. And I can honestly say that all the meditating…and sleeping…and gentle contemplating…restored at least a portion of my sanity. Of course, I also walked away from the weekend with a killer idea for a feature-length movie.

A little over two years later, I’ve written the screenplay of “Inside-Out, Outside-In.”  This January, after some drama, we workshopped the climatic scene of the piece in Ivana Chubbuck‘s master acting class (more on this in a future post).  And I’ve managed to do some rewriting based on that experience. We’ve already had interest by some private equity investors. One of my investors for the webseries saw a rough cut of that project and immediately expressed interest in signing up for the feature.  That was a fantastic feeling…and a moment when my brain started generating things-to-do-lists and attempting to re-trigger an addiction to coffee. So I’m simultaneously refining the script and putting an investment package together while interest remains high.

But, for now, a huge part of the process is purely creative.  Jotting down ideas for shots.  Mindmapping the characters and scenes. Brainstorming about everything from character names to color palettes to costumes. And rewriting, rewriting, rewriting. That may bring you to the question – so what is the script about anyway? Well…I’m not ready to tip my hand on the story just yet…BUT…I will include a trailer here of one of the two films that have inspired me in the development of the film. I absolutely LOVE Bob Fosse’s brilliant take on a choreographer’s descent into that great twilight set against the backdrop of the fast-paced, experiential task of putting together a Broadway show. I’ve seen it easily 25 times and if you realize later on that I stole a shot or two from it…well…you read it here first.

—

Hunter Lee Hughes is a filmmaker living and working in Los Angeles and the founder of Fatelink. His current feature film Guys Reading Poems is touring film festivals and this blog is dedicated to the process of making his second feature film, “Inside-Out, Outside-In.” If you enjoy the blog, please support our team by following us on Facebook, Twitter (@Fatelink) or Instagram (@Fatelink).

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