While NYU film school students barely have computers in their classrooms, two self-taught guys in their early 20’s are creating the new video bible for filmmakers with no budget. Last night at Motion Over Time Studios, Andrew Baron led a discussion with the creators of Indy Mogul, Erik Beck and Justin Johnson. Indy Mogul, an internet TV show, is produced by Next New Networks, home to 16 shows and counting.
Justin Johnson started with Next New Networks and wanted to create a DIY filmmakers’ show. He knew his friend Erik Beck, unhappily toiling away at a crummy temp job in Oakland, was a genius at creating special effects out of virtually nothing. Johnson got him to audition and produce a pilot for the show and that’s how BFX was born. Beck and Johnson just got back from Sundance, where they filmed all day, interviewing people like Moby, edited all night and produced segments every day of the festival. Those shows have a freewheeling exuberantly unscripted quality. The only scripted part was their dialog with the On Star Navigation system in their car. Originally a much longer segment, they typed in naughty words to get odd answers. Unfortunately, a lot got cut in the actual show. “The responses got creepier and creepier,” Beck said. Hopefully, they'll release the uncut version soon.
But the shows where you learn to rip out a heart or create Zombie make-up are all researched and worked out by Beck for BFX. He designs the effect, builds it, tests it and writes the show. While Next New Networks pays their salaries and ultimately owns the content, Johnson and Beck have total creative control. If you want to learn how make a space suit, create an Evil Dead Chainsaw Arm for $30 or just be enormously entertained, this is your show. What's in the future for these two? I'm willing to bet next year, people will be interviewing them at Sundance.—Sherry Mazzocchi
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