Premonitions
Keeping a dream journal has proved to be very interesting. What might appear to be a meaningless and forgettable dream, may turn out to be more than you think. I found myself looking back at old entries...and some discoveries were quite eery.
I’ve had dreams that predicted future events, friends’ engagements, relationship issues, events in the news, and death..Which brings me to today’s topic. The BP oil spill in the gulf has been one of the biggest environmental disasters in our history, and I can’t say it hasn’t affected me any. In fact, it makes me angry. And I think it should. If you thought 9/11 was a wake-up call to terrorism and national security, how is this situation not an environmental wake-up call..to how we continue to live our lives..to our obsession with oil. To selfishness and greed. Not thinking about the outcome of our actions. It’s frustrating. How many wake-up calls do we need? First, the financial “collapse” of our economy and now this.
I could go off on a whole other rant, but the point is, this oil spill is a huge deal and has made a huge impact on the world. Which brings me back to the topic of dreams.
Flipping back through my dream journal, I came across an old entry, that now suddenly seemed to have meaning. It felt like it had meant something significant at the time, but the thought was fleeting as I had nothing to connect it with.
(Keep in mind, I was the one experiencing the dream, thus it is going to be through my interpretation--hence it taking place in Bellingham as opposed to the Gulf, etc)
Here is my original entry, line for line. It is fairly short, but still eery:
Dream: 9/29/08
"There are oil wells all over Bellingham. I am with my mother and all the sudden all of them explode and oil starts flooding the entire city. We are by the bay and the flood of oil smashes into us and knocks us into the water. We are okay, but it is an emergency and we need help because I know it’s effecting everyone."
Quite random you might say. I don’t think my subconscious mind, let alone my conscious mind, would ever be thinking about oil. Why would I have such a dream?
If you are still intrigued, here is another blog I wrote on the subject back in February of ‘09:
Death and Dreams
I’ve had some powerful dreams lately. Dreams that linger long after they have passed. Dreams that are even more vivid in my mind than events of the day before. I might not be able to tell you what day it is today, but I can tell you in graphic detail the images of a dream that has refused to go away.
I can decipher the difference between a dream that is abstract nonsense, recycling feelings and thoughts that have been on my mind at the time, and a dream that seems to come out of nowhere, with a very distinct message. For instance, if I’ve spent all day thinking about candy bars, I’m going to have a dream about wanting that candy bar. Just to spite me, I’ll most likely end up searching for that candy bar the entire dream, and just as my hands are about to wrap around it, tear off the wrapper and stick it in my mouth, I’ll wake up. And then I’ll go to the store and buy some chocolate.
But then there’s the type of dreams, like the one I had about a week ago, that couldn’t possibly have come from my subconscious. Dreams that coincide with events that are taking place in the world. Dreams that demand attention and refuse to leave your mind.
This particular dream effected me from the moment I woke up till the moment I fell asleep again that night. It made me reflect on a few things. The power of dreams cannot be simply dismissed. Emotionally you may experience such a dream as though it has actually occurred. There is no difference in your mind’s eye, save for the fact that it never really happened.
This dream came to me just weeks prior to the day when two planes crashed; one, a plane flying over Buffalo New York, crashed into a home, killing all those on board and a man in the home. The other, a plane in London, crash-landed at the airport. The passengers all survived, a few were injured.
Now, death is a subject often on my mind, but never so specific as this was. I had jotted my dream down in a journal, but it had temporarily left my mind, until the two plane crash incidents on Friday, Feb. 13th.
I close my eyes and I can still see it vividly.
I’m flying aboard a plane with my mom and brother, Marcus. But we are all separated, seated in different sections. As we are about to land, we are informed by the pilots that they've lost control of the plane and that the plane is going down. They tell us that we are not going to survive, that we only have a matter of minutes to live. Like a slap in the face, I’m confronted with the fact that I’m falling to my death. Trapped in my seat, awaiting my execution. These will be the last fleeting moments before my life has passed. Fear strikes me. I don’t want it to be over. I haven’t accomplished everything I wanted to.
What will it feel like? Will I finally discover the biggest mystery of life...what happens after death? I don’t have time to fully comprehend it all.
It’s then I realize that I’m going to die alone. Alone, surrounded by strangers. Separated from my family.
The plane crashes.
The lights go out.
I’m still alive...
Disoriented, I look about me. We are upside down and to my right I notice that the right wing of the plane is mangled, a few people conscious but injured. A few in front of me have been killed.
Those of us still alive manage to make our way through the plane, checking to see who has made it. My mind is set on finding my mom and brother. Luckily they are fine, and the rest of us get out okay.
The pilot had managed to land somewhat safely, causing only a little damage to the plane. However, a few lives have still been taken in the process.
When I get back home, my close friends greet me and embrace me. It is all over the news and they had feared the worst. Feared that the last time they’d seen me we’d had an argument. They could hardly express how they felt. And neither could I. I was in shock.
Having faced death square in the face, and survived, I could only reflect on the fact that none of us were supposed to have lived. And yet here we were still.
You say just a dream...I experienced it.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Fantastic Stan interview with GoBham
Hey everybody,
here is the (full) interview I did with the Bellingham Herald online: (if you wish to go to the site directly for the article-- (http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/gobham/news/local-filmmakers-knapp-brothers-entertainment)
FS Interview:
Questions:
Who is helping make this film?
That is a great question, and it has much relevance to this project. “Fantastic Stan” is being produced by my production company, Knapp Brothers Entertainment (started in 2008)--which consists of myself and my three brothers: Jacob, Jared, and Marcus. We make make music videos, documentaries and short films.
I think initially people might be surprised to learn that “Fantastic Stan” from start to finish has literally been put together by brother Jake and I, on virtually no budget. I am hoping that this does not turn people off, but rather create more interest. The reason behind making it this way is to kind of prove ourselves to others, say hey look, we can pull this off with just two guys behind it all, on a shoe-string budget.
More-or-less work as a kind of blue-print, or sample to pitch to people. Get someone interested enough to finance future projects or help us get a budget for a feature version of “Stan”. This business is all about connections and who you know. You just need to get seen by the right people. So, I’m hoping we can get some sort of recognition for it.
As far as a team goes, Jake and I compliment each other quite nicely. I approach the film from the writer/director standpoint, trying to see the vision from page to screen. Jake does everything else: editing, DP(director of photography),(sound, gaffer, best boy, you name it!) and is a whiz in the fx/department. I’m pretty amazed at what he can pull off, even with the limited tools we have. And that’s saying a lot, seeing as though a good 50% of this movie is green screen work. This film would not be possible without him, as it is very heavily fx driven.
What is the film about?
I’ve had the concept for “Fantastic Stan” since I was 14 years old. I co-wrote the script with my brother Jared back in ‘01 and have discussed making it ever since. It wasn’t really possible for us until technology could catch up. Now so many tools are readily available to anyone, and for relatively cheap. People might take it for granted, but it really is amazing that you can now shoot HD footage and edit your entire movie on your computer with a program like Final Cut..With the right creativity and talent, so much is possible.
I find that people often times try and overcomplicate ideas. What I was attempting to do with “Fantastic Stan Goes to Hell” is take a simple tale and spin it on it’s head. It contains all those elements and themes of classic literature: a great journey, “good vs. evil”, love and friendship, loss of innocence, sacrifice, death, etc,--all that mixed up in the Knapp Brothers’ blender.. And how could it not be inspired by classics like “Star Wars” and “Wizard of Oz”..
The story goes something like this: A young, traveling salesman, who sells his own inventions, and whose main mode of transportation happens to be a flying vacuum cleaner he has created, must rescue his parents, when they are kidnapped by the devil himself.
I know what you’re thinking..But bare with me.
Where are you from? Born and raised in Bellingham, Washington. Proud of it.
How long have you lived in Bellingham? Practically my entire life--’87. The Knapp Brothers have been making movies since I was 8 years old, when I saved up and bought my first video camera. It has been our dream ever since to make films.
What types of movies do you make?
We are very eclectic stylistically. We tend to make experimental films that evoke a certain kind of feeling or emotion. I guess you could say the most natural genre for us is black humor. At the same time, I like to remain undefinable. Films have so much to say about the human condition and I want to explore it all.
What other types of movies to you want to create?
Continuing where I left off with the last question--I want to add that, the movies I’m making right now now don’t really reflect the kinds of films I want to make for the rest of my life.
At this point, making visually entertaining films is a good way to attract attention, but ideally I want to make films that make a difference in people’s lives.
I am really interested in character studies, films that take the audience out of their comfort zone, films that might even make people a little uneasy. Films that get people to think outside the box, to maybe get them to look at an issue from another angle they’d never considered. To better understand and accept people for who they are. I want to make the world a better place through the art form that happens to speak to me. That is my true passion.
Documentaries are another genre I absolutely love. They’ve become quite popular in recent years, which is great because it is an excellent format for telling a story. I’m currently editing together “While We Worked”, a documentary on the Cliff House restaurant--a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on behind closed doors and the colorful array of characters that work in the business. I love being an outside observer, capturing a real situation, and then relaying it back to others for interpretation. Capturing a moment in time and preserving it “forever”. I find that fascinating.
Right now I’m also really interested in the music video market. Matching visuals to inspiring music is quite honestly what I love most. I’m working on some really cool projects that you’ll be hearing about soon.
What filmmakers have influenced your work?
You know, different filmmakers have influenced me at different times in my life. Like most filmmakers, I take influence from a great variety of people. As it is with many of my generation, how can one forget Steven Spielberg..He was solely responsible for getting me into film. I watched “Jurassic Park” as a 7 year old, and it just kind of sparked something in me. By the time I was 12, I think I had seen (and now owned) every film Spielberg had ever produced/directed. A little bit obsessed, you could say.
While he will always play a significant part in my “filmmaking development”, others have inspired my work as I’ve grown as an artist: Hitchcock. Traffut. Fellini. Kurosawa. Kubrick. Woody Allen. Wes Anderson. The Coen Brothers..Okay..and Scorsese, etc..
Current major influences: Paul Thomas Anderson (Highly under-appreciated). Quentin Tarantino. Spike Jonze. David Lynch. And Charlie Kaufman is genius.
Where can people see more of your work?
We’re working on expanding our resume as we speak, but the best place right now is probably our youtube site (www.youtube.com/knappbrothers) where you can see our past resume of old shorts, and will also be the place to see future trailers, music videos, etc. (We’re working on turning out a DVD of old material soon as well) Do keep in mind, most of the shorts on there are four or five years old. We continue to work on the quality we produce.
We’re also going to have an official Vimeo up soon, and eventually our official website, (www.knappbrosentertainment.com) will have more content. We’re going to work on turning it into a resume of sorts. Right now, it’s a little bare. But keep watch!
“Fantastic Stan” is really the first time we’ve ever really tried to push our work in the public’s eye, which in itself is strange to me, seeing as though I’ve been making movies most of my life. It’s come time to expand our films to a larger audience, and we hope to share them with as many people as possible. (Ideally, I’d eventually love to share our films internationally..)
We’d love for anyone who’s interested, to head on over to the Fantastic Stan facebook page--( and become a fan. We want (at least) 500 fans before we release a full length trailer. 1,000 would be even better. The faster we get fans, the sooner they can get a peek at what we’re doing. So don’t just add us, tell your friends, and spread the word!
When do you plan to release the film?
I’d love to have a release date set, but right now it all depends on how fast the process allows us to continue. (Much FX work left to do.) The downside to not being fully employed by our movie work is that we have day-jobs that eat up a lot of time. We are definitely hoping for a 2010 release. Right now my best estimate would be to say fall or winter. We want to do a premiere at Pickford once the new theater is finished (fingers crossed). And then of course we’ll be doing the rounds with Projections and other film festivals in the Northwest next year. You’ll definitely be seeing us around town closer to completion..
Last words? Shout outs?
You know, Bellingham has always been really supportive of the arts, which is why I love living here, and I think it continues to grow as a thriving art community for filmmakers and musicians alike.
I am hoping I can play a part in the recognition of Bellingham as a serious place for film..among many other talented filmmakers:
Caleb Young and Alek Talevich are two creative souls that I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Handcrank Films has impressed me, specifically Chris Koser’s camera work. And I’d like to say thanks to the Pickford Cinema, for bringing great Independent cinema to town and helping build a stronger art community. I’d love to see more filmmakers in town unite. An alliance of sorts.
..And to b’town musicians (specifically the boys at Bayside and Clickpop)--you ‘effing rock..(to the Cop Hog for simply existing..)
I just hope I can add to the foray of amazing artists in town and let the world know that we ‘Hamsters mean business. And lastly, thanks to my friends and family, who make the journey worthwhile!
here is the (full) interview I did with the Bellingham Herald online: (if you wish to go to the site directly for the article-- (http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/gobham/news/local-filmmakers-knapp-brothers-entertainment)
FS Interview:
Questions:
Who is helping make this film?
That is a great question, and it has much relevance to this project. “Fantastic Stan” is being produced by my production company, Knapp Brothers Entertainment (started in 2008)--which consists of myself and my three brothers: Jacob, Jared, and Marcus. We make make music videos, documentaries and short films.
I think initially people might be surprised to learn that “Fantastic Stan” from start to finish has literally been put together by brother Jake and I, on virtually no budget. I am hoping that this does not turn people off, but rather create more interest. The reason behind making it this way is to kind of prove ourselves to others, say hey look, we can pull this off with just two guys behind it all, on a shoe-string budget.
More-or-less work as a kind of blue-print, or sample to pitch to people. Get someone interested enough to finance future projects or help us get a budget for a feature version of “Stan”. This business is all about connections and who you know. You just need to get seen by the right people. So, I’m hoping we can get some sort of recognition for it.
As far as a team goes, Jake and I compliment each other quite nicely. I approach the film from the writer/director standpoint, trying to see the vision from page to screen. Jake does everything else: editing, DP(director of photography),(sound, gaffer, best boy, you name it!) and is a whiz in the fx/department. I’m pretty amazed at what he can pull off, even with the limited tools we have. And that’s saying a lot, seeing as though a good 50% of this movie is green screen work. This film would not be possible without him, as it is very heavily fx driven.
What is the film about?
I’ve had the concept for “Fantastic Stan” since I was 14 years old. I co-wrote the script with my brother Jared back in ‘01 and have discussed making it ever since. It wasn’t really possible for us until technology could catch up. Now so many tools are readily available to anyone, and for relatively cheap. People might take it for granted, but it really is amazing that you can now shoot HD footage and edit your entire movie on your computer with a program like Final Cut..With the right creativity and talent, so much is possible.
I find that people often times try and overcomplicate ideas. What I was attempting to do with “Fantastic Stan Goes to Hell” is take a simple tale and spin it on it’s head. It contains all those elements and themes of classic literature: a great journey, “good vs. evil”, love and friendship, loss of innocence, sacrifice, death, etc,--all that mixed up in the Knapp Brothers’ blender.. And how could it not be inspired by classics like “Star Wars” and “Wizard of Oz”..
The story goes something like this: A young, traveling salesman, who sells his own inventions, and whose main mode of transportation happens to be a flying vacuum cleaner he has created, must rescue his parents, when they are kidnapped by the devil himself.
I know what you’re thinking..But bare with me.
Where are you from? Born and raised in Bellingham, Washington. Proud of it.
How long have you lived in Bellingham? Practically my entire life--’87. The Knapp Brothers have been making movies since I was 8 years old, when I saved up and bought my first video camera. It has been our dream ever since to make films.
What types of movies do you make?
We are very eclectic stylistically. We tend to make experimental films that evoke a certain kind of feeling or emotion. I guess you could say the most natural genre for us is black humor. At the same time, I like to remain undefinable. Films have so much to say about the human condition and I want to explore it all.
What other types of movies to you want to create?
Continuing where I left off with the last question--I want to add that, the movies I’m making right now now don’t really reflect the kinds of films I want to make for the rest of my life.
At this point, making visually entertaining films is a good way to attract attention, but ideally I want to make films that make a difference in people’s lives.
I am really interested in character studies, films that take the audience out of their comfort zone, films that might even make people a little uneasy. Films that get people to think outside the box, to maybe get them to look at an issue from another angle they’d never considered. To better understand and accept people for who they are. I want to make the world a better place through the art form that happens to speak to me. That is my true passion.
Documentaries are another genre I absolutely love. They’ve become quite popular in recent years, which is great because it is an excellent format for telling a story. I’m currently editing together “While We Worked”, a documentary on the Cliff House restaurant--a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on behind closed doors and the colorful array of characters that work in the business. I love being an outside observer, capturing a real situation, and then relaying it back to others for interpretation. Capturing a moment in time and preserving it “forever”. I find that fascinating.
Right now I’m also really interested in the music video market. Matching visuals to inspiring music is quite honestly what I love most. I’m working on some really cool projects that you’ll be hearing about soon.
What filmmakers have influenced your work?
You know, different filmmakers have influenced me at different times in my life. Like most filmmakers, I take influence from a great variety of people. As it is with many of my generation, how can one forget Steven Spielberg..He was solely responsible for getting me into film. I watched “Jurassic Park” as a 7 year old, and it just kind of sparked something in me. By the time I was 12, I think I had seen (and now owned) every film Spielberg had ever produced/directed. A little bit obsessed, you could say.
While he will always play a significant part in my “filmmaking development”, others have inspired my work as I’ve grown as an artist: Hitchcock. Traffut. Fellini. Kurosawa. Kubrick. Woody Allen. Wes Anderson. The Coen Brothers..Okay..and Scorsese, etc..
Current major influences: Paul Thomas Anderson (Highly under-appreciated). Quentin Tarantino. Spike Jonze. David Lynch. And Charlie Kaufman is genius.
Where can people see more of your work?
We’re working on expanding our resume as we speak, but the best place right now is probably our youtube site (www.youtube.com/knappbrothers) where you can see our past resume of old shorts, and will also be the place to see future trailers, music videos, etc. (We’re working on turning out a DVD of old material soon as well) Do keep in mind, most of the shorts on there are four or five years old. We continue to work on the quality we produce.
We’re also going to have an official Vimeo up soon, and eventually our official website, (www.knappbrosentertainment.com) will have more content. We’re going to work on turning it into a resume of sorts. Right now, it’s a little bare. But keep watch!
“Fantastic Stan” is really the first time we’ve ever really tried to push our work in the public’s eye, which in itself is strange to me, seeing as though I’ve been making movies most of my life. It’s come time to expand our films to a larger audience, and we hope to share them with as many people as possible. (Ideally, I’d eventually love to share our films internationally..)
We’d love for anyone who’s interested, to head on over to the Fantastic Stan facebook page--( and become a fan. We want (at least) 500 fans before we release a full length trailer. 1,000 would be even better. The faster we get fans, the sooner they can get a peek at what we’re doing. So don’t just add us, tell your friends, and spread the word!
When do you plan to release the film?
I’d love to have a release date set, but right now it all depends on how fast the process allows us to continue. (Much FX work left to do.) The downside to not being fully employed by our movie work is that we have day-jobs that eat up a lot of time. We are definitely hoping for a 2010 release. Right now my best estimate would be to say fall or winter. We want to do a premiere at Pickford once the new theater is finished (fingers crossed). And then of course we’ll be doing the rounds with Projections and other film festivals in the Northwest next year. You’ll definitely be seeing us around town closer to completion..
Last words? Shout outs?
You know, Bellingham has always been really supportive of the arts, which is why I love living here, and I think it continues to grow as a thriving art community for filmmakers and musicians alike.
I am hoping I can play a part in the recognition of Bellingham as a serious place for film..among many other talented filmmakers:
Caleb Young and Alek Talevich are two creative souls that I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Handcrank Films has impressed me, specifically Chris Koser’s camera work. And I’d like to say thanks to the Pickford Cinema, for bringing great Independent cinema to town and helping build a stronger art community. I’d love to see more filmmakers in town unite. An alliance of sorts.
..And to b’town musicians (specifically the boys at Bayside and Clickpop)--you ‘effing rock..(to the Cop Hog for simply existing..)
I just hope I can add to the foray of amazing artists in town and let the world know that we ‘Hamsters mean business. And lastly, thanks to my friends and family, who make the journey worthwhile!
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