CATFISH -- Henry Joost, Nev and Ariel Schulman talk reality thriller.
From: Andrea Chase
Series: Behind the Scenes
Length: 10:32
When a painting arrived for photographer and filmmaker Nev Schulman at his office, he couldn't have imagined the journey it would take him on along with brother Ariel and business parnet Henry Joost. The painting was a rendering of a photograph of Nev's that had appeared in the newspaper. The artist was eight-year-old Abby, and she, her family, and her friends would, thanks to Facebook, become an important part of Nev's world. Brother Ariel began filming, as he did pretty much everything else that occured at the offices of Supermarche, but the footage, along with the growing attraction Nev felt for Abby's sister, Megan, turned into the documentary CATFISH. Part mystery, part romance, in it's entirety it's a meditation on the social network phenomenon that brings people together, yet also, paradoxically, keeps them at a remove. Joost and the Schulmans ponder that as well as discuss the terrors of rural Michigan on a dark night, and why for them the camera is always ready to record.
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Piece Description
When a painting arrived for photographer and filmmaker Nev Schulman at his office, he couldn't have imagined the journey it would take him on along with brother Ariel and business parnet Henry Joost. The painting was a rendering of a photograph of Nev's that had appeared in the newspaper. The artist was eight-year-old Abby, and she, her family, and her friends would, thanks to Facebook, become an important part of Nev's world. Brother Ariel began filming, as he did pretty much everything else that occured at the offices of Supermarche, but the footage, along with the growing attraction Nev felt for Abby's sister, Megan, turned into the documentary CATFISH. Part mystery, part romance, in it's entirety it's a meditation on the social network phenomenon that brings people together, yet also, paradoxically, keeps them at a remove. Joost and the Schulmans ponder that as well as discuss the terrors of rural Michigan on a dark night, and why for them the camera is always ready to record.
Timing and Cues
NB: Three guys sharing one mic.
00:00 - 00:42 Intro and filmmakers each introduce themselves
00:54 - 01:08 Definition of a “reality thriller” and how the distributor came up with the phrase. They make the point that CATFISH is a documentary
01:23 - 01:27 One thing all documentaries have in common is that they are all true.
01:48 - 02:27 Speaks to the accusations that the action on screen was not filmed as it happened. They understand why people have that reaction because of the structure of the film happening in real time. They are the first to admit that luck plays a bid part of being in the right place at the right time.
02:35 - 03:02 Answers what the pleasures and perils are of making a real-time documentary. Dangerous situations that turned out not to be. The cameras made them bolder, which made them do things they might not otherwise have done.
03:20 - 04:17 Responds to how they felt riding around in the wilds of rural Michigan in the middle of the night. Did it have a BLAIR WITCH feel to it. They talk about their genuine fear and being on a mission. Also, having a plan to escape quickly.
04:14 - 04:31 Their worst fears at the moment they drove up to the barn with no one around and no lights on. Shotguns might be involved and one of them thought it would be wonderfully cinematic.
04:42 - 05:49 On first meeting Angela, what they were thinking as they walked up the path to the front door for the first time. Introduces the term “tiger jaw’ as a way of getting their courage going.
06:14 - 06:20 Did Henry keep the engine running while others approached the house.
06:25 - 07:49 Why there is always a camera at the ready at their offices; their lack of video from their childhoods; Nev is one of the best Bar Mitzvah videographers in New York.
08:04 - 09:14 Their take on why people want to live their lives so publicly on Facebook and other social network site. The temptations of being able to control your persona online.
09:21 - 09:40 There is a PR component to Facebook, same as on a first date.
09:47 - 10:43 Why Nev is so obsessed with dance, and particularly ballet as an art form and subject of his photography.
10:23 - 10:31 Thank you and outro.
Intro and Outro
INTRO:Andrea Chase takes you Behind the Scenes of the reality thriller Catfish with the filmmakers Henry Joost and Neev and Ariel Schulman. It's a different look at the Facebook phenomenon that considers identity, expectations, and the surprises inherent in turning a virtual relationship into an analog one. The adventure begins when Nev receives a painting of a picture he had taken. The artist was Abby, an eight-year-old Ishpeming, Michigan girl from a very artistic family, including a sister, Megan, who takes Nev’s fancy and with whom he begins a long-distance relationship of a flirtatious nature, while also forging friendships with Abby and their mother, Angela, their stepfather, Vince and getting to know the rest of their family and friends via Facebook.
Henry and Ariel, also known as Rel are filmmakers, buddies since high school, and founders of the production company, Supermarche, which also includes Nev, who is Rel’s brother, also a filmmaker, and a photographer, as well. The three share one office while pursuing projects together and separately.
OUTRO:You've gone Behind the Scenes of the reality thriller, CATFISH, with the filmmakers Henry Joost, Nev and Ariel Schulman.
