The System film

Done Shooting!

2009-07-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right: we're finally done shooting The System. Now comes the grueling labor of logging and organizing all the footage so we can sit down to edit. Many thanks to our fabulous cast and crew. We hope to wow you with a trailer real soon!

White Cell 1 Weaves His Own Backstory

2009-04-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

A RECENT EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE PRODUCER AND THE ACTOR WHO PLAYS WHITE CELL 1.
Warning: Spoiler Alert!

Nicholas: Did I... Did I just assassinate CEO? Don't we work for him?

me: No. You shoot into the crowd to try to set up the workers union so that it looks like they made the attempt. Only you get busted because Nerve 110345 took an illegal camera into the hall.

Nicholas: Ah.

me: Tada!

Nicholas: Stupid Nerve 110345.

me: Don't worry. He dies.

Nicholas: Yay! Justice!

me: Yeah, we already killed him a couple of weeks ago. Ha!

Nicholas: When do we shoot the love scene between White and WhiteCell1 that finally resolves all the smoldering sexual tension between them?

me: That's the sequel, silly.

Nicholas: Right, right. My fault.

me: She IS pretty hot — despite being so mean.

Nicholas: Do you think that the audience is going to get from my performance that I'm not performing my job to the best of my ability because I'm worried about White, who is carrying my child?

me: I think you're that good. Yes. Of course, only seriously brilliant audience members will catch the subtlety of your performance.

Nicholas: I just hope I'm not underdoing it to compensate for the fact that I'm secretly a double-agent who has trying to bring down the system from the inside, but fell for White and now is lost inside my own lies.

me: Damn, we should have let you do a rewrite.

Nicholas: That's why I don't kill Hermes myself... I can't bring myself to do it. I also don't really give a kill order, because then I'd be liable for her death. Listen, I've got a very complicated character backstory all built up. It's a very delicate house of cards. :)

me: Is Hermes carrying your child, too? Player!

Nicholas: No.. see.. that's the reveal in Act 3. Hermes IS the child of White and I, sent back into the past to bring down the system with my undercover help, so White and I can finally be together in a rule-free System.

me: Gotcha. Far more interesting!

Nicholas: Well, if you're watching carefully, it's the only obvious solution.

me: Clearly. You need to write, mister!

Nicholas: lol
Only bit-part character backstory. It's my specialty. :)

me: Nice. Can I write this into our blog?

Nicholas: lol
I release all artistic rights to the above details to the System Film, Inc.

me: Perfect.

Location Scouting

2009-04-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

The System Shoot: Done with Day 10

2009-04-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

Shooting has been going well, and we're excited about the footage — despite the chaotically tight schedule (my fault, of course). Unfortunately, I have as yet not found a way to upload numerous photos to blogger simultaneously, so please see The System fan page on Facebook or @thesystemfilm on Twitter or TwitPic for updates and photos.

The System Shoot: Day One

2009-03-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

We just wrapped up our first shooting day at Keldon Ancheta's apartment, and we only broke one end table and a few capillaries. I guess we'll be making a trip to IKEA early next week. Sorry, Keldon — but thanks for putting up with all the chaos.

On set today: Director Juan Antonio del Rosario, D.P. Bo Hakala, Sound Technician Bill Prouty, Stand-in D.P. T.J. (yes, that darn Bo left us for Germany), Actor Nathan Christopher, and Host Keldon Ancheta. Oh, and me. I guess I was there, too — probably bitching about not moving fast enough.

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Interested in Being an Extra in The System?

2009-03-11T14:04:00.001-07:00

We need numerous unpaid extras for our upcoming film shoot. If you are interested in appearing in "The System" and can commit to being there on the following dates, please contact Cristina at cristina@voicesmediallc.com

Here is the schedule thus far:

Sunday, March 22, 5:30am-2pm
5 melancholy prostitutes, beautiful, yet abandoned. (Have slips)

Saturday, March 28
5+ Protestors with signs. Wear khakis with white t-shirt and work boots. Will provide shirt or coveralls.
One Instinct — mismatched urban chic — who gets picked up by White Cells.
6+ Messengers on skates, bikes, skateboards. Wear black leggings or sweats. Will provide red hoodies.

Sunday, March 29
4+ Messengers on skates, bikes, skateboards. Wear black leggings or sweats. Will provide red hoodies.

Saturday, April 4
5+ Heart Workers - Wear khakis with white t-shirt and work boots. Will provide shirt or coveralls.
6+ Messengers on skates, bikes, skateboards. Wear black leggings or sweats. Will provide red hoodies.

Sunday, April 5
4 CEO-type Board Members. Wear black suit with white shirt. Will provide black tie.
5+ Messengers on skates, bikes, skateboards. Wear black leggings or sweats. Will provide red hoodies.
5 Random Cells . Wear gray slacks with white short sleeve button-down shirt (will provide if necessary). Will provide black tie.

Sunday, April 12
2 Protestors w/signs. Wear khakis with white t-shirt and work boots. Will provide shirt or coveralls.

Monday, April 13
2 bar patrons - Mismatched grunge or bright bright colors.

Sunday, April 19
10+ Random Cells. Wear gray slacks, white shirt (short sleeves preferred but not necessary). Will provide black tie.
7+ Messengers on skates, bikes, skateboards. Wear black leggings or sweats. Will provide red hoodies.
1 little girl who can reach foot into mouth

Monday, April 20
3+ Random Cells with gray slacks, white shirts (long & short sleeves), and black ties (can be bowtie)
2 random dealers

Saturday, April 25
4+ Messengers on skates, bikes, skateboards. Wear black leggings or sweats. Will provide red hoodies.

Monday, April 27
1+ Messengers on skates, bikes, skateboards. Wear black leggings or sweats. Will provide red hoodies.
2+ Heart Workers. Wear khakis with white t-shirt and work boots. Will provide shirt or coveralls.

Saturday, May 2
5+Heart Workers. Wear khakis with white t-shirt and work boots. Will provide shirt or coveralls.
5+ Protestors with signs. Wear khakis with white t-shirt and work boots. Will provide shirt or coveralls.

Sunday, May 3
5+Heart Workers. Wear khakis with white t-shirt and work boots. Will provide shirt or coveralls.
5+ Protestors with signs. Wear khakis with white t-shirt and work boots. Will provide shirt or coveralls.
Random Marchers

Sunday, May 10
3+ body-builders

Saturday, May 15
10+ children ages 3-6
5+ Latino Guerrilleros -Wear any camouflage you own. Will provide the rest.
7+ random immigrants - jeans and t-shirts

First Full-Cast Meeting

2009-03-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it wasn't really a full-cast meeting. Our full cast just doesn't fit in the back room of the Wilde Roast — and those Wilde Roast scones are to die for — so we met with the main players.

Thanks to Chuck Olsen for taking this photo, which I so boldly (translate as "grossly") swiped off his flickr page. Chuck is going to be playing a Nerve. It's just so right.

The System Has Been Cast

2009-02-24T07:26:00.001-08:00

Nathan Christopher as Cell

Mandie Cheung as Hermes

Nick "Nate" Fleming as CEO

Paul Cram as Aide

Emily Fradenburgh as White

Tony Czech as Dispatch

Greg Hernandez as Foreman

Ben Kreilkamp as Prophet

Sheila Regan as Suicidal Instinct

Leigha Horton as Nerve

Chuck Olsen as Nerve

Tyler Jensen as Nerve

Nicholas Leehan as White Cell 1

Robin Whitt as White Cell 2

Rachel Grubb as White Cell 3

Open Casting Call on February 10th

2009-02-04T10:05:00.000-08:00

Join the cast of The System. We still have a few lead roles to cast — and many smaller roles.

Auditions will be at IFP offices (2446 University Ave. West, Suite 100), on Tuesday, February 10th, from 3:30-8pm.

This is a micro-budget film; actors will receive a stipend, dependent on time and investment (though clearly not reflective of your true worth). And it is not a SAG production.

Here are some of the roles we have yet to cast:

AIDE: right-hand man of Cerebellum's CEO; like a young Watergate Cabinet member; the end always justifies the means.

TROTSKY: President of the Worker's Union; highest leader in Circulation City. He has become polished with time, more sedate, but still carries the hardness inherent to industrial workers. He is a middle aged, academic guy, always a little disheveled.

SACCO: worker in the Lower Chamber of Circulation City; has the roughened look of a dock worker: hard features, broad shoulders, and an abrasive manner. He stands up against Foreman and quickly gains power with a faction of the Worker's Union.

WHITE: lead Immunity agent; quiet and cold, he relentlessly pursues his mission until it is completed. He is tall, lean, clean, methodical, and very imposing.

MEMORIES: melancholy prostitutes from the Right Hemisphere; beautiful, yet abandoned. There is a sadness in their eyes. (Think of the prostitutes in Mike Figgis' "Liebestraum")

BIRTHDAY GIRL: a repressed memory in the Right Hemisphere; a sweet little (blonde?) girl (think Poltergeist — 7-10ish).

ELEMENTS: Young children (4-6ish, perhaps, but must be able to follow simple instructions) — some with (make up) defects, but one an angelic looking child.

PROPAGANDISTS: your typical PR, advertising guys; sleek and sleazy — inventors of the PR campaign that Cerebellum uses to build support in Circulation City and undermine the leadership of the Worker's Union.

BAPTIST: baptizes children in river.
CEREBELLUM CLERK: Nerdy brain clerk — delivers information.
FOREMAN: Must increase production on Cerebellum's orders — confronts Sacco
GUERRILLA SOLDIERS: Latino, typical guerrillero style (think Che)
HEART GUARD: Tough, rough
SACCO'S BOYS: roughened look of dock workers: hard features, broad shoulders, and abrasive manners.
UNION OFFICIALS: Typical union workers — rough, but slightly softened by bureaucratic bullshit
WHITE CELLS: immunity agents. Cold, Hard, Methodical.

Please direct questions to criscordova@gmail.com

System Auditions

2009-01-27T19:53:00.001-08:00

Photos by the lovely Susan Marks, Casting Director.

A System Is Defined by Its Parts and Processes

2009-01-27T11:45:00.000-08:00

The System is ruled by two forces: the heart, an industrial engine — Circulation City— oxygenating blood for the messenger red cells to deliver throughout the system; and the mind, a complex information management company — Cerebellum Corporation — that oversees all system operations by receiving messages from nerves and responding to those messages. The common purpose: to stay alive.

Because... Everything is a System

2009-01-27T11:36:00.000-08:00

You float in a solar system. You inhabit an ecological system. Function in political systems, rise and fall within economic systems, behave within social systems, and communicate through information systems. And inside you, every cell in your body is part of a biological system.

The System takes place within that biological system, a human body — a misguided character who is never seen, but always implied. Inside the body, The system comes to life as a network of cities, inhabited by cells. And it is those cells who are the characters of this tale.

About The System

2009-01-27T11:34:00.001-08:00