The Forward E-mail letter!

I just donated to An Endgame, and I thought the project might interest you too!

An Endgame is a fiction short film about two brothers with Parkinson's disease directed by Cory Line.

An Endgame is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization partnered with the Wilkin's Parkinson's Foundation, to spread awareness and raise donations for Parkinson's disease research by use of the to be made short film.

If you are interested in more information about the short film, non-profit organization, or details on how a film is made, please visit http://anendgame.blogspot.com/ or check them out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/anendgamemovie.

If you've already heard about the project and are interested in supporting them, the secure donation link is https://secure.qgiv.com/for/aend.

Thanks and have a great day!

Shot on Red

Image quality and filmic atmosphere are very important to the feeling of this short film. For that reason, we will be shooting An Endgame on the Red.

Our Director of Photography has his own Red Epic, and I am thrilled to be working with him to make this short film look great.

The Red cameras have been great for bringing studio quality cameras to independent filmmaking.

Steven Soderberg (Director of Traffic, Erin Brockovich, Ocean's Eleven) stated that the Red is "the camera I've been waiting for my whole career: jaw-dropping imagery recorded on board a camera light enough to hold with one hand. I don't know how Jim and the Red team did it—and they won't tell me—but I know this: Red is going to change everything." (Please excuse me for not changing the pronouns here.)

David Fincher (Director of Se7en, Fight Club) and his Director of Photography, Jeff Cronenweth, shot The Social Network and Girl with the Dragon Tatoo with Red cameras (both were nominated for the Academy Award in Cinematography and look amazing).

Other standout's shot with Red cameras are Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy, Neill Blomkamp's District 9, Debra Granik's Winter's Bone, Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, and The Amazing Spider-man.

All this information, but what it boils down to is that this short will look amazing (working in tandem with our lighting team as the camera is only half of the picture, pun intended) and of "studio" quality. This will give us the best chance of impressing people to pass on the completed short film via internet, which will simultaneously help spread awareness and raise donations, and it will also give us a better chance of achieving a lasting impression on the festival circuit.

For more information and a list of films and TV shot on Red, head to their website at Red.com.

A Helping Hand

We've gotten a number of notes from people saying that they know someone who might be interested in our project, but that they don't feel comfortable asking them directly. Could we reach out to them with more information?

We welcome such letters, and we would be happy to reach out to anyone and everyone who might be interested in supporting us!

Shoot us an e-mail at anendgame@gmail.com with their information and we'll do the rest!

Thanks,
Cory

Employee Donation Matching!

One of my friends just told me that the company he works for, Welles Fargo, will match 100% of donations up to a certain amount, and a quick google search shows that many other companies do the same.

If you have made a donation or are planning to donate and would like to check and see if your company donation matches, check HERE for a list put together by the Salvation Army*.

If you see your company name and are interested in setting up a donation match, send us an e-mail at anendgame@gmail.com, and we'll help you with the process!

Companies on the list are:
Bank of America
BP
Exxon
Gap, Inc
GE
Johnson & Johnson
Microsoft
Starbucks (maybe)
Verizon
Welles Fargo

as well as many other national and even regional companies.

If you don't see your employer on the list, don't be discourage. This is not a complete list by any means. Still shoot us an e-mail at anendgame@gmail.com, and we can help find out if a matching program does exist (Starbucks' was hard to find), or we can send you a form letter to see if your company might be interested regardless.

Thank you all so much,
Cory

*link is http://www.uss.salvationarmy.org/uss/www_uss_dallasac.nsf/vw-sublinks/57A4677B11696E2D8525747900837DBC

On Typos

This blog, Facebook page, and twitter account are now officially published. I want to thank Jason for catching a few typos early on, and thanks to my mom who caught a lot more! Please let me know if you spot any more!

email: anendgame@gmail.com

Thanks,

Cory

Donors

Our first donor is Amandalynn T. She is donating in honor of Mary and Robin Line!

My Parents

These are my parents Mrs. Mary and Dr. Robin Line in Malibu on their most recent visit to the West coast.



In almost every way possible, my parents are the reason I am making this short film.

I've talked about my parents in many of the earlier posts, but I continue to be moved with how they take everything in stride and do not let their Parkinson's diagnoses become the most important thing about them. Early on they told me that Michael Bublé's song "Hold On" has become their anthem of sorts, and that's how I always think of them: two people who love each other, love their family and friends (and their dog, Little Bear), and are holding on with grace, style (in dad's case a modicum of style), and a whole heck of a lot of fun!

Hopefully, I can get them to take a five-ten minute break from their busy lives one day to write up something about living with Parkinson's disease, or perhaps even a quick interview (I will shamelessly replace this text with that and pretend it was here all along).

I love you mom and dad, and I hope that you know that my threat to put you in the background of the diner scene is not empty one.

Online Donations are a go!

We have now reached the stage where we can accept online donations for our budget and then on to making our short film!

An Endgame has decided to go with Qgiv for secure online donations! Qgiv is the service that the Wilkins Parkinson's Foundation also uses for their online donations.

As a non-profit venture, all donations to the budget through Qgiv are tax-deductible. You will be e-mailed a receipt that can be used as proof of your donation come tax time. We will also send out a reminder e-mail of your donation next March.

If you are making a donation in someone's name, tell us on the donation page, and we would love to publish that on our site along with any words of encouragement or thoughts about that person you'd like to share. If you have Parkinson's yourself, we would appreciate if you shared some of your own personal experiences, musings, or even difficulties living with PD for us to put up on the site. My hope is that people will visit our People of Parkinson's page and weigh-in with their support and other memories of loved ones.

Please e-mail us at anendgame@gmail.com with pictures too for us to put with the dedication and People of Parkinson's posts!

You can also donate to the film if you just like short-form entertainment and have not had any experience with Parkinson's at all!

If you aren't in a position to donate, that's ok too! It would be great if you could tell a friend or two about the project and directed them to our web site at www.anendgame.blogspot.com. If you happen to be friends with Bill Gates, heck we'd even prefer it!

Donations can be made at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/aend or even to Mayon, David or me in person via web or mobile app!

You will also be able to opt-in to our e-mail list for major updates to the short film (all major and minor updates will always be in the production journal).

Thank you all so much, from the bottom of my heart, for supporting our artistic vision that will in turn aid in the efforts to end Parkinson's disease.

Cory Line
Director, An Endgame

A(n on going) List of Set Positions

You've always seen it on the credits, but what exactly is a best boy grip (and other positions)?

(to be filled in later)

-- Director
The Director is the person who directs the efforts that go into making the film. From the scrip (sometimes), lighting, and performances. Depending on the project he or she can be highly or not at all involved in almost every aspect of the film making process.

-- Producer
There are many types of producers, but in this case we will concentrate on the one who does all the behind the scenes work. From creating a budget breakdown, bringing together talented people the director wants and needs, and taking care of all the myriad pre-production, shooting, and post issues that arise.

-- Director of Photography (DP)
The Director of Photography works with the director to come up with the "look" of the film. From camera angles, lens, lighting, and movement.

-- Key Grip
The Key grip along with the Gaffer works with the Director of Photography to execute the aesthetic design of the film. The Key grip is the head of the grip team and is also in charge of safety on set.

-- Best Boy Grip BBG
The Best Boy Grip is the Key Grip's right hand person. They are in charge of the inventory, repairs, ordering, and overall management of all the gripology as well as hiring and maintaing the crew needs for the day. They are also in charge of the paperwork and is the liaison to the producers for grip side.

-- Grips
The Grip team in the American lighting system is in charge of everything lighting that does not plug in. That could be reflectors, bounces, diffusions frames, and can also be rigging, flagging, adjusting color with gels the light units. They also work camera support with dolly, and safety.

-- Gaffer
The Gaffer along with the Key grip works with the DP to execute the aesthetic design of the film. The Gaffer is the head of the electric team.

-- Best Boy Electric
The Best Boy Electric is the Gaffer's right hand person. They are in charge of the inventory, repairs, ordering, and overall management of the lighting unit and peripheral equipment as well as hiring and maintaing the crew needs for the day. They are also in charge of the paperwork and is the liaison to the producers for electric side. The BBE is also generally in charge of the power set up from the generator to the individual units; balancing the amperage of each "leg" over hundreds and even thousands of feet of cable to make sure that each unit get the appropriate amount of power.

-- Electricians or Electricss
Electricians in the American Lighting System are in charge of all the units (and their appropriate power), to "light" the set as well as any lighting effects that involve electronic units.

An anecdote to explain the difference between the two teams is that the electrics put up the lights, and the grips put up the shadows.

-- Scripty is shorthand for the Script Supervisor. They are in charge of the continuity, and making sure that the lines are correct (or that what is important in the lines are covered).

If anyone reading this works in a particular area on set and would like to submit a definition of their department or perhaps a more accurate definition than what is already listed, please post in the comments or e-mail us.

It's Official! An Endgame is a non-profit!

The Wilkins Parkinson's Foundation has brought us under their 501(c)3 charter to make our short film a non-profit project. All donations to our budget will now be fully tax deductible (we'll have donation links up on our page as soon as our account info is set up).

Bill Wilkins, the Executive Director and Co-founder of the WPF is the man Katie Peabody at the Michael J Fox Foundation introduced me to (see our development post). He is also one of the eight original members of the MJFF's Patient Council.

Here is his bio from the Wilkins Parkinson's Foundation site.

"Bill Wilkins (WPF Executive Director & Co-Founder): Bill’s background in out-of-home media began in 1960 in Los Angeles. He held key management and executive positions in Las Vegas & Chicago, and in 1980 became the first President of the Institute of Outdoor Advertising (New York City) to come from within the industry itself. He founded Wilkins Media Company in Atlanta in 1987. WMC has since become the oldest, largest independent out-of-home media specialist in the country."

During that early brainstorming session with Katie, I told her that I was looking for someone who would be willing to host our project, would also be supportive for the story we are trying to tell by giving us autonomy to make the creative decisions, and at the same time be willing let us donate any money gained by the completed short towards Parkinson's Disease research though the Michael J. Fox Foundation. A pretty tall and specific order. It's no wonder to me now that it took Katie about five seconds to think of Mr. Wilkins and put me in touch with him.

Since our first conversation a few months ago, I have found Mr. Wilkins to be a gentleman who’s word is always good, a man willing to share his deep reservoir of experience, and he’s funny. What more could you ask for in a benefactor?

Mr. Wilkins has been nothing but incredibly supportive for the artistic and philanthropic goals for our project. He did not shy away from and is even behind our unyielding portrayal of Parkinson's disease in An Endgame. With his knowledge of advertising and passion for fighting Parkinson's Disease in creative and educationally expansive ways, he is an ideal match to be the patron of our project.   

I couldn't be happier or more excited to be working along the Wilkins Parkinson Foundation and Mr. Wilkins to make this short film. 

Cory Line

August 12th, 2013 

* * *

If you are in the Atlanta area, the WPF has two big fundraisers coming up soon.

Polo for Parkinsons on September 29, 2013
This year the WPF is partnering with the Emory University’s Movement Disorder Center.

And the 10th Annual Countrified Rock for Research on October 4, 2013.

Take a second to check them out!

Cory Line - Director

Bio:

Cory Line was born in South Korea and adopted by parents Mary and Robin and siblings Chris and Julie in Atlanta, Ga USA. Always interested in film, he attended the University of Virginia where he double majored in Filmic Studies in Critical Analysis and Production (a program he created) and English Language and Literature. As the sole student in the Filmic Studies program, he thought he was a sure thing thing for Valedictorian, but was instead last in his class.

After a too short but enjoyable two years in Paris earning a culinary degree in cuisine and patisserie and working in a one-star Michelin restaurant off the Champs-Élysées, he was offered a full-time position at said restaurant. However, Cory decided that if he really wanted to work in film, he better do it before he started making serious money in another field. He still cooks though. Don't worry.

Soon, he was in Los Angeles where he met his muse, Amanda Thomas, and started working in feature film lighting under the tutelage and eventual friendship of David Tayar. The two filmmakers then decided to make some movies of their own, and Cory thought that in order to do so, he better write a biography first. "And [he] has and this is it."

Director's Statement:

That bio was definitely not written by me by the way, and Amanda certainly did not ask "Hey what about me, your muse?" when I first read it to her.

An Endgame will be my first directed project since college, and I'm very excited about it. I've spent the last few years working in the lighting industry, which is admittedly where my filmic education thus far had been most lacking. In college we moved around the two lights we had and would sometimes use "that red plastic" on the light. Working on set as a best boy grip, which is where all the art in lighting happens (don't tell the electrics), has obviously expanded my knowledge of lighting and many other colored plastics, but it has more importantly taught me how a good set operates and how a good director conducts the set.

That being said, this project would not be nearly as successful without David Tayar as my Director of Photography and Mayon Denton as my Producer.

Now, if you're interested in a lengthy and mostly theoretical director's statement here it is: 

Right now, at this point at the start of my career, I think that movies are meant firstly to be enjoyed. That doesn't mean they don't challenge the audience, and they don't have to be liked by everyone (though that would be nice). I don't agree with the crop of movies gaining traction that are seemingly designed to alienate the audience. There are better ways, more complex emotions, and deeper connections I'd like to have with my audience than making them feel resentful of the time they've given me. 

I want my movies to be beautiful and look beautiful; in that order (any good DP would agree). 

I lament the trend of independent cinema starting to have the same aesthetic as television. I supposed with (potentially) less people going to the theater and being content to watch movies at home, that the visual style would gravitate to that of TV (and this is a general comment obviously). A lot of that comes from some directors being laser focused on their monitor and not seeing it beyond a television sized canvas. It's difficult for a huge wide shot to pay off on something the size of a TV screen. The Searchers doesn't look or even feel like the same movie on a TV versus a theater screen. While I don't think the trend of home viewership can or should be ignored, there is something about having the huge wide shot slap you in the face in the theater, or to see the nuances of an actor's entire body that may not be as impressive or apparent on the small screen. 

I strongly believe in filmmaking as a collaborative effort. That doesn't mean I'll be asking the caterer how to compose shots (something my mother though would happen if I was the caterer*), but I think that once you think that your way is the only way or even the best way (unless you're Mr. Welles, M. Jeunet, or Sig. Fellini) that you've started to lose your way. 

I also tend to be on the side of a the script as a loose guide. I can write something that I think is amazing, but if it doesn't work then it doesn't work. I remember watching the special features of Gosford Park, and seeing Mr. Altman with the actors (not glued to a monitor) and after the take asking the scripty if they hit all the important points. I really like that idea. It's the actors' (gender neutral) performances that carry a movie, and if you've done the leg work and talked through the aesthetic design and camera moves with the DP, then you can concentrate on the performances. Letting the actors be the characters you've hired them to be seems like a no brainer to me. Unless of course I'm adapting a Mr. Gaiman work, then the actors need to just say the f-ing lines. 

I think it's naive to ignore the economics of filmmaking i.e. not wasting money, people's time, or making movies that no one wants to see (or at least movies that are more expensive than the audience who is willing to see it is large). Does that mean that movies can't be everything I've listed above because I'm not ignoring the economics of filmmaking? Hell, no. Look at Kubrick. He was the master of knowing his audience, of making movies that were sensational, looked amazing, and that always made their money back. 

This statement is embarrassingly open, and I don't mind. I don't think creativity in general is something to be hoarded or hidden (unlike ideas in their gestative state). I think it calls into light the ideas of responsibility and openness. I don't want someone to feel like they've wasted their time and money in making or experiencing my works. I want to stay true to these tenants, and I also think that anyone supporting me at this stage deserves to know how the mind that is spending their money works and thinks.

Finally, I don't think that the movies I want to make are the only ones that should be made. I love movies, going to the movies, and watching movies with my muse (that time was me... well, they both were but...). I gain inspiration from all types of movies, books, TV, and often from the most random and oddest places.

But mostly, of course, from my muse.

Cory Line

August 3, 2013

* My mother would like me to clarify that this is humorous exaggeration and that she is not in fact, in her words "an idiot."

David Tayar - Director of Photography

The Director of Photography (or DP) is another name for the cinematographer. Here is our DP's bio as released by the Israeli Government:

INFORMATION REDACTED codename “David Tayar” was born on August 2, INFO in the small village of REDACTED, Israeli. Recruited for an elite branch of the Israeli Special Forces in the REDACTED Division at the age of 17, he was trained by INFO REDACTED and was active from 2003-INFO completing successful missions in INFORMATION, REDACTED, REDACTED, REDACTED, and Nashville, Tennessee USA. It was on the Nashville mission “Music City” where contact with Tayar went dark and he was presumed REDACTED. Tayar popped back on the grid in the year INFO in Los Angeles, California working as a lighting technician, and recent intelligence places him as a highly sought after DP. Efforts to require Tayar have resulted in the loss of several highly trained assets and future efforts have been suspended indefinitely. He is currently working for INFO REDACTED INFO, a globally broadcast children’s programming network.

David's IMDB Page

Umm...anyway...

As I posted earlier, I met David through a chance set of circumstances. He was replacing the Key Grip on a show I was on. As much as I liked his work sensibilities, personality, and filmmaking philosophy, I was really impressed with his eye and natural abilities to catch the important things going on in any given shot. David and I tend to have common preferences for camera movement, lighting style, and overall aesthetic.

When I first started making movies in college, I could never understand Directors that hand the camera over to someone else. So much can go wrong. They might miss a great moment because they aren't thinking about the shot, performance, or story like you are. They might have their own agenda in making sure the movie looks good without a care of if it is any good. With David, I feel like I'm handing the camera over to a much more dangerous, heavily Israeli accented version of myself (there is not a word in that bio that isn't true by the way).

Much like Mayon, David is also of the craftsman work sensibilities. As much as he cares deeply for the visual presentation of the film, he is more concerned with the whole quality of the film. One of David's many mantras is that no one will give a crap about what the movie looks like if it's no good.

At the same time, it still needs to look good, and with David, I know it will.

Mayon Denton - Producer

Bio:

 As a student at UCLA, Mayon started his own production company, DRG Films. He has produced music videos, commercials, documentaries, TV pilots, and feature films. Over the last five years, Mayon has written, directed, and produced numerous projects. One of Mayon’s noteworthy projects is a feature-length documentary entitled “A Love Supreme: U-N-I & Ro Blvd.," a story that focuses on the evolution of Los Angeles' hip-hop culture. The project featured on of L.A.’s most recently successful hip-hop groups, “U-N-I.” It was screened at the MGM Towers in Los Angeles, inside the International Creative Management Theater (ICM). “A Love Supreme” received distribution and was sold in Target and Best Buy.

Mayon produced the feature film, “Fingerprints”(2013); the television pilot, “How to Succeed at Birth” (2012); an award winning short film, “Lil Tokyo Reporter”(2012); and the award winning feature film “Against the Grain.” “Against the Grain” premiered at the Hollywood Black Film Festival winning both the the Audience Award and the Honorable Mention for Best Feature Film. At the Pan African Film Festival, the film won the Audience Favorite Narrative Award. At the Gasparilla International Film Festival it received the Grand Jury Award for Filmmaking.

Mayon is currently developing and producing four other feature films, “Spin,” which is about the birth of the hip-hop culture in Los Angeles; “Wait a Minute Mr. Postman,” which is the story of the early writers and legends of Motown Records;"Primal/Ethereal," a coming of age story; and a thriller currently titled “Fallout Shelter.”

These projects have allowed Mayon to gain the knowledge to become the passionate filmmaker he has always envisioned himself to be. Mayon explains, “Filmmaking is my passion, my love, and my life. Every aspect of filmmaking fascinates me from the initial idea, which leads to the creative process, to the business side of filmmaking (the investment/money-making side). I am intrigued by the way in which a few words can metamorphasize into a screenplay, and finally . . . The completion of something great, that STORY, which can be watched, felt, and embedded into the hearts and minds of its viewers. The storytelling process is truly amazing!”
Mayon's IMDB Page

Cory on Mayon:

It may seem ridiculous now, but I was extremely anxious before my first meeting with Mayon (something I don’t think I ever told him). I first met Mayon in mid February of this year, and I was worried that he would be this smooth-talking moneyman, who might not like or “get” the project or want to change it to something different entirely. It was my first time meeting with a "Producer" in the role of director presenting my own project. My previous dealings with Producers as the Best Boy Grip were very straightforward in terms of ordering grip and electric equipment, reporting the Lost and Damaged (L&D), and doing payroll. Even though he was a friend of David's and had worked with many of my friends, I had never met him before and honestly still didn't know what to expect.

That was all laid to rest almost immediately. David and I met with Mayon at Muse on 8th, an ok vegan friendly coffee shop (I was conducting a month long vegan experiment at the time, so Mayon was probably more wary of me), and it became readily apparent that Mayon is exactly the type of person I like working with -- hard working with little ego (hence little drama), natural teacher, problem solver --  what i like to call the craftsman work ethic. He's also at the point in his career where he can pick and chose the projects he actually wants to involve himself with without having to chase any paycheck that comes along (very reassuring for a first time director). Mayon also has a unique sense empathy that allows him to be incredibly supportive for the vision of the directors and content makers he works with.

So, quite simply, I really couldn’t be more pleased to have Mayon as the producer on An Endgame and our many more projects to come.

On becoming a Non-Profit venture (soonish)

Just signed and sent in the agreement form with the Parkinson's non-profit foundation, and when we get a copy back, we'll officially be a non-profit and can accept donations to the budget! Very excited!

What is "Development?"

Right now our project is in “development,” the first of five general stages of the filmmaking: development, pre-production, production, post-production and distribution. For the sake of my parents’ anxiety, I’ll specify that we are WELL into the late stages of development. Development is where general planning for our short film happens: coming up with an idea, work-shopping the story, writing the script, composing an aesthetic, setting up a plan to seek funding, and thinking how we might distribute.

For this project, once the basic idea was formed, the story and script came together rather quickly, but the financial strategy went through several stages of revision. As I’ve said before, short filmmaking in my experience is not exactly a profit machine, and since I’m funding this short with contributions from mostly friends and family, I didn’t want to put forth any investor plan listing out a certain return on investment because suggesting a probable return seemed disingenuous. I do see this short as a possible ending to a feature length project (something that I am currently developing in my spare time), so I discussed the idea with my produce of treating the investors of the relatively inexpensive short as first in investors for the feature, but the points distribution of two different properties was unmanageable.

Further complicating issues for my poor producer was that I always wanted the short to somehow raise donations for Parkinson’s disease research in addition to rewarding my investors. After several other financial strategies that were nearly impossible logistically or unfair to the investors, we decided to try and make the project a fully non-profit endeavor. Although this might have been the obvious option now, I was excited about it because it seemed to be a route that allowed us to achieve all our financial goals for the project. It gives the donors an immediate tax deduction upon contributing to the budget, allows the production to stretch that budget further with contractors and merchants, and allows us to donate our proceeds to PD research.

However, deciding to be a non-profit venture was not without its own set of challenges and logistical hurdles. Should we try to form our own 501(c) or try to join an existing non-profit? If we join one, how much percentage of our donations are we willing to give up? Should it be a film based non-profit or a PD related non-profit and if so would they even want to be associated with our short film with its admittedly contentious story?

I have long been a huge fan of Michael J. Fox (my siblings are children of the 80’s remember) and read his book Lucky Man years before my parents were diagnosed with PD. I respect and have been personally affected and positively reassured by the positive and hopeful message that he and his foundation emanate. I knew before we decided to be a non-profit that I wanted to be involved with the Michael J. Fox Foundation even if it was only donating whatever proceeds we could raise with the film. I know that the MJFF utilizes all of its available funds for research (something I respect) and wouldn’t be able to contribute financially to our short, nor would I want to take away funding from the MJFF with my project, but I was hoping (perhaps naively) that they might have a mechanism for sponsoring projects like mine or even some networking resources to point us in the right direction.

I heard that one of my friends from school (University of Virginia) was working for the foundation at the time, so I contacted Katie Peabody at the Michael J. Fox Foundation. It was about 4pm EST on Friday, and Katie had just come off the Foundation's huge week of meetings with their various councils and boards. She was running on about forty-five minutes of sleep, but still, she brainstormed with me for a couple of hours about how we could do this.

Finally she says to me, “I have an idea, but I’m going into the subway and will have to call you back.” I figured she’d call me back after the weekend, but in 40 minutes Katie called me back after having spoken with a member of the MJFF Patient Counsel with his own PD related non-profit foundation, who was very interested in my project and potentially willing to sponsor us with non-profit status from his foundation.

Now, we are in the final stages of finalizing our agreement with him and his foundation to become a fully non-profit venture, and when that occurs or short will move from “development” to “pre-production.” Stay tuned…

Utilization of Funds

The project, AN ENDGAME, requires a production budget of $29,825  to fund the entire production process. The budget numbers on the next page cover all expenses needed in order to deliver a final cut of the entire film.  AN ENDGAME may potentially be released on several platforms, which include: home entertainment, Video On Demand, and online media sites.  AN ENDGAME will also be submitted to top tier and second tier film festivals to gain awareness of the film.  The festivals will also be used to help market the film and to gain as much awareness as possible.  A major goal is for the film to be used as a learning tool to bring awareness to Parkinson’s. It may potentially be used by schools as well as other organizations to raise questions about the true nature of Parkinson’s, what it really is, and what people who suffer from it must endure.  

Ethical Statement

While it is possible to interpret An Endgame as a symbolic exhibition of defeatism, for me it represents the struggle that Parkinson’s sufferers face within themselves. The sense of foreboding, the often frightening shadow that hangs over the story’s characters is synonymous with the feelings that millions with Parkinson’s experience as a result of this disease with no present cure. My primary focus for the short is not to solely focus on the duel and hence Parkinson’s as death, but to tell an engaging story about these characters while giving insight into the way they are living and coping with PD. Perhaps it will also begin the discussion of those difficult questions that comes with every diagnosis. To that end, our big picture goal is to use the film to raise awareness and donations for Parkinson’s disease research. This will be accomplished through the films’ digital and traditional distribution, so that we may help find a cure with the use of this entertaining, poignant, and informative film. An Endgame will be a story of fiction to be used as a tool for the fight against PD that will hopefully one day consign An Endgame to that of historical fiction.

Project Background - The Long Way Around

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved swords and sword fights. I often cite my older siblings’ love of the original Star Wars trilogy (which I’ve been watching since before I can recall memory), the first Highlander, and The Princess Bride (my siblings are children of the 80’s if you can’t tell) as the genesis of this love and obsession.

When I was living in Paris eating lamb, drinking wine and doing all the things you do if you are fortunate enough to live in Paris for a time as a young man (for it is a moveable feast), I watched a documentary called Reclaiming the Blade. One of the small segments highlighted a group based just outside of Atlanta where I’m from (but is all over the US). The group studies the original texts and manuals combined with strenuous and studious application to learn the art of swordplay as it was intended—not for a sport application but as a serious and necessary martial art.

When I returned to the States in the summer of 2010 and moved back to the Atlanta area, I looked this group up and joined the Atlanta chapter led by a guy named Joey. The first day I learned tons of basics, got my ass kicked, and it was glorious. It was like coming home…after coming home, and I studied with the group until I left Atlanta the next year.

When I moved to Los Angeles in early 2011, I naturally brought my Albion Liechtenauer, one of the best training swords made, with me and stashed it in my room.

I was working G&E (Grip and Lighting ie film lighting) with an Israeli guy I had met named David (Dah-vEEd). Just starting out myself, I really appreciated his work ethic and desire to pass on his skills to make those working under him better as opposed to just competent, and we started recommending each other for jobs. Turns out his girlfriend, who despite her misplaced Alabama football leanings is a lovely woman and talented cinematographer, lived just down the street from me, so David and I would often carpool to jobs talking about movies we liked, why, and what we wanted our own projects to be about and look like. As anyone who has worked nights can tell you, these late night conversations would often get intense. We found that we also shared a common language and aptitude for storytelling, and in the wee hours of the morning, on the empty (or as empty they get) highways of Los Angeles, a partnership was formed.

David was in our house one day and by this time knew of my sword fixation. He saw my Liechtenauer and told me that our common friend Bryce had a story idea about two brothers who decided to have a duel to the death with swords. I thought it was an interesting idea and placed it in the back of my mind.

Around this same time (2010-2011), my parents were both diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. My mother told me she was experiencing a tremor in her left thumb and went to have it checked out (her father had Parkinson's in the 1970's and one of her older brothers also has PD currently). In the appointment, the Doctor surprisingly suggested my father might also be tested. Dad had been suffering from a bad knee for many years (In typical medical Doctor fashion, he had been putting off his own knee replacement for as long as possible), and it had been slowing him down. My mother’s doctor said that that the movement resistance in his leg and arm could also be symptomatic of early onset Parkinson’s disease though complicated by his bad knee and eventually my father was also diagnosed with PD (he also finally got the knee replacement).

Later that year in 2011, I was injured on a show and decided to take a break from working in lighting. I loved working grip side but I never wanted to make my career in it. With constant work though, it is easy to stay in it forever, but with my injury forcing me to take time off, I decided it was time to start concentrating on making my own projects. David had come to a similar decision a little bit before and had starting working as a director of photography (DP for short and also sometimes called a cinematographer).

The sudden rest after constant work on shows forced me to deal with my parents’ diagnoses that I had subconsciously pushed aside. I wrote my first feature scrip (that is really going to be something great after a bit more revision), a couple of treatments for other features, and a few shorts but nothing really came together.

I remembered Bryce’s story idea of the duel between brothers and sort of automatically projected my parent’s Parkinson’s onto those two characters. Maybe they didn’t want to fight to the death because they hated each other as is so often the case, but because they desperately loved each other. They would go through it alone to spare their brother from having to go through the harrowing end stage of Parkinson’s.

In a nerve-wracking meeting, I asked Bryce if I could use the premise of his short and go with it in my own direction. Bryce very kindly told me to go for it (he’s working on a feature called Primal/Ethereal that starts shooting next year).

The first draft came together in a matter of hours, and now here we are.

[Note: I am unfortunately not being paid to promote Albion, nor do they have anything to do with this production YET! If you are interested in one of their swords (I have one of their Stewards too and I love it), Mike is the greatest and will answer any questions you might have.]

Project Background - Short Version

Swords and duels have long captured my imagination. From long past and far, far distant galaxies, during medieval times in Europe, and even on the modern streets of New York, there has always been a nostalgic, alluring, and captivating quality about the art of sword-fighting. While duels motivated by romantic betrayals, by overthrowing (Galactic) empires, or as a result of hatred or greed are quite common, very few of these duels have ever been fought or motivated out of sheer love for ones opponent.

When my parents were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease a number of years ago, I had thought that two brothers with a shared degenerative disease would be an intriguing motivation for a duel. They would be fighting to save one another from what they believed to be a terrible fate, or in this case an increasingly degenerative one.

In the years since their diagnosis, I have witnessed my parents facing a different kind of struggle everyday: the attempt to fight their disease while still trying to maintain a high quality of life. Theirs is also a struggle of love: love for each other, and love for their family and friends. Even through it all, it is still important to my parents that they continue to experience new things. It may not seem quite as dramatic as a duel with swords, but it is no less powerful.

With that, my initial idea for the project changed. While the duel between the two brothers still remains at the center of the story, I relegate it now to that of a McGuffin.  This is a story of two brothers who love each other, who are struggling to live their lives as best they can, and who are forced to take on the same daily struggle that millions of people, including my parents, must face everyday.

It is this more important struggle that became the main and true focus of AN ENDGAME. 

Plot Synopsis

As young boys, Perry and Ken witnessed the tortuous decline and abrupt passing of their father from Parkinson’s disease. Nearly fifty years later, the brothers, now 58 and 51, find themselves simultaneously diagnosed with the same degenerative disease. Terrified and unwilling to face what seems like an inevitable end, the brothers make a pact to learn the art of swordplay and eventually face each other before becoming physically incapable of battle. For both Perry and Ken, this duel must be fought in order to spare their beloved brother from the advancing end-stage of the disease. They have been training for months despite the inescapable progression of the illness for the confrontation that will one day decide who will be spared their father’s fate. Today is that day.

Note to Prospective Donors/ Mission statement

You often hear about passion projects, stories that filmmakers are fighting to tell and often do so with smaller budgets than they would have initially hoped for. Perhaps, then, most short films (excluding the preludes to animated features) are passion projects. In these shorts, filmmakers often attempt to convey strong emotional statements that they believe should be expressed and often with little hope of turning a profit.  

We are going to make An Endgame a poignant and beautiful piece. By submitting to film festivals around the world, we hope to seek recognition for all of the talent and creativity that will go into making the film in every area from photography to acting and direction. For this specific project, it is not just important to me that we make a beautiful short film, which engages the audience both visually and emotionally, the type of film that raises difficult questions as well as dramatic and emotional responses; emotions that will make you feel alive or possibly outraged based on the fate and choices of the story’s characters. For this project and for me personally, it needs to be something even more. 

As is, the making of a low-budget short film is already an uncertain financial venture. Thus, with the support of my production team, we shall attempt to take a less traditional route economically. Rather than trying to profit maximize, we will attempt to raise funds by collecting donations for Parkinson's disease research. 

I am truly excited about the prospects of this film both artistically and philanthropically. It is my belief that as people recognize the talents that have gone into making An Endgame, those involved will have the opportunity to work on larger projects with bigger budgets. In other words, we will be obligated to many more people and unable to do something of this directly charitable nature in the future.  

However, in order to successfully make An Endgame as a philanthropic endeavor, we must first fully raise the budget for the short film. The majority of our budget will most likely be collected from individuals and groups who desire both to support the filmmakers' talent as well as to help raise awareness about and for those afflicted by this yet to be cured disease.

On this site, you will find information about An Endgame. This a project that our talented production team and I are very passionate about and a cause, which affects people whom I care for passionately. I hope by the end of this packet, that you will at least be curious enough inquire more about our story and support our vision.

About the Site

This site is designed to be an all-out hub for the short film An Endgame.

Here we will be posting information about the short film itself as well as publishing a production journal of sorts to let you know what is going on behind the scenes. As a collector lamenting the loss of physical media while everything goes streaming, think of this site as the soon-to-be-antiquated "special features"of our short film.

I also hope to collect personal stories, thoughts, and anecdotes about Parkinson's disease. I am inviting anyone who donates to An Endgame to include a personal message about PD-- whether it's a memory of someone they know with Parkinson's disease, a story about how having a loved one with PD has affected them, or their own personal thoughts and experiences being diagnosed with PD. All stories and thoughts, good and bad, happy and sad, will be posted. I think this could create a very human network to help highlight the people that are affected by this disease, and form a web of support for the many people who are going through the same thing.

Finally, as this project is funded by you, I would love to know what questions you have about the project, about filmmaking, or anything related to An Endgame.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Cory Line

Director of An Endgame

Now, the beginning...

This site is set up to promote and provide information about the upcoming short film, An Endgame.

Here we'll be posting updates about the project in development, pre-production, shooting, etc while also providing background on the film and the talent involved in making the film.

Feel free to subscribe to our updates and post any questions you may have about the film or filmmaking process, and we'll do our best to answer them.

Follow us on twitter (@AnEndgame) and like our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/anendgamemovie) for more information.

Thanks,

An Endgame Production Team (as of May 25, 2013)
Cory Line, Mayon Denton, David Tayar

We're back or is that just beginning?

And we're back (tough technically we were only here for a few seconds). Google has "determined that [this] blog was mistakenly marked as a TOS violator by our automated system and, as such, we have reinstated [this] blog." More actual updates coming soon.