I can vouche for the swedish gummi fish--but I'm still a bit confused: no MayPole, no folk dancing....but still "swede fest". I was only there for a short while (other promises held sway) , but I *totally* dug the IronMan swede with the red and gold tin foil--it Rocked Hard!
congrats to all of you Hard Core Swede-ers.
(wood clog dancing, next year?)

Blake, Iron Man was mine. Thanks for the compliment. All it was, was red and gold cellophane over aluminum foil. I definitely had blast doing that.

I have to thank Roque and William for putting this together. I had never done anything like that before but I definitely want to do more. I have a list already of movies and individual scenes that I want to do.

Also glad at the turn out was so high. Hopefully next year will be twice as much.

I...um. I don't get it.

I get what a Swede is. I get why it played so well in ONE film. I get why broke-ass filmmakers like making them.

But it's super-duper rare that I like them. I know, I know, it's just me...something about being old, something like "these kids these days with the hair and their music...why, they wouldn't know filmmaking if Cecil B. dropped some stock on thier heads!"

Still, is it just me? I don't like Swedes.

Stephen, the point of sweding is to give people who aren't necessarily filmmakers a chance to know the joy of filmmaking. And what's wrong with that?

I think it's cool.

I'm all for traditional training and study in film, but have been in far too many 8mm wind up films waaaay back in the day to not see the coolness of these things.

It's sort of like when I'd teach someone how to draw, or anyone picks up an instrument and trys to make sense of it.

First thing you hear is
'Oh, I can't do that,'
--nine times out of ten?
They totally can,
they have great ideas and a really cool viewpoint,
--and you get see amazing stuff happen IN the person because they're finding a new outlet and exercising parts of their brains and souls that they never knew they had.

They've just been told by some schmuck that they're not good enough,
or just got spooked, and simply need a little confidence instilled.

When home handheld video started to come out, It was known, 'okay, now ANYONE can make a film,' Which, meant a couple of things:
-people finding all sorts of ways of incorporating the tech.
-people finding new ways to look at different styles
-people no longer being held back by limited funds
-Imagination taking place

And that's Beautiful.

I mean, YEAH, there is a ton to be said for studying and refining one's craft.
-But it can also be argued that an origional plot hasn't been hatched in thousands of years,
-and we're all retelling the same stuff in our own ways.
(And, if you look at the trends (now) at making blockbusters look more like handheld (CloverFields prime example,) it would seem that the film industry is more than happy to make money off of 'home-brew,' style, as well.
Why not reverse the trend once in a while?

As a visual artist, I'm amazed how many times the initial 'sketch,' or first pass, (even if it's a bit rough in some areas,) really captures the spirit of the thing, ---when full on studies can loose their fire and become overwrought and lost.

'Swedes,' are perfect in that what you GET is what you GOT, and there's no hiding behind anything, not even makeup, and audience can't HELP but to reach as well to participate.
(This is storytelling at it's most visceral and honest.)

I love how what you hear is 'everybody has a right to be heard,
everybody has a right to express,
everybody should be encouraged to be creative and try something,
and then share:

When what's really meant is:
Only the exclusive,
the approved,
the accepted,
the monied
-are ALLOWED to have ideas, express, make something, and have fun doing it.
Oh yeah:
'and you have to go through all the garbage, hazing and torture that I did along the way to 'prove yourself worthy' of being seen, heard, or enjoyed.'

Screw that.

Wasn't there something called the ROGUE in this town that was all about people 'just getting up and doing something because they thought it might be was cool? (or simply had the guts and money required to apply to?)
---oh wait, that was in the Spring,
this season we're pissing on grassroots creatives, my bad.

This is an EXCELLENT simple tool of expression,
ANYONE can do it, and the worst that will happen is:
people will be encouraged to loosen up and be creative in ways that they (and others) previously didn't think should be 'allowed.'

It's simply another way of people walking up to each other and having a good time conveying what means something to them.
It's a bunch of tribute bands playing songs for each other, having fun,
only this time, it's a bunch of digital shorts.

More Swedes, less snobs.

I did the swede cause after watching Roque's Indy it looked like a ton of fun, and I'm a big movie fan anyways. I didn't do this to look like a wannabe film maker, but to support something different in this community. It just turns out that after writing, directing, and acting in my swede I want to do more. I got hooked and went out and bought a few books on film making and screenplay writing. I plan on doing more and maybe even craft my own story. But I do this for myself, if people get it great. If they don't, that's art. There's things that I don't get nor ever will but I let that artist do their thing cause that's what makes them happy.

hmmm. do I have to put money into a fund, or join a club if I say something like "heck, ya. I agree with WetTowel/VoidMan said"?

I think it's all about....and I'll go out on a limb:

ENCOURAGING.

and THE COMMUNITY IT CREATES.

amen. so be it. let it be. please.

Will, thanks for all your help, both in participating & promoting! I was seriously overwhelmed by the turnout yesterday and this is only the beginning. Even before the gallery shut it's doors yesterday, we had already started brainstorming for our next festival! Thanks again to everyone who came out and especially those who submitted entries!

I enjoyed the festival immensely. But I got to ask, what was up with "Cool Hand Luke"?

My guess?

Swedes = fad that dies within 2 years

Bryan Harley Films = never die

Bryan, I get your point, but jeez...doesn't this wash filmwork down to what you and I were likely doing in the fifth grade? I like what Ray A. said about the 'community' of it all and such, but I much much prefer, oh, pretty much everything else you've ever done on film.

It's cute. Swedes are just that...cute.

But I've got better things to do with my film-watching time, and part of that is hoping you (Bryan) and the other Fresno filmmakers, keep making original works...even if they're made for less than $100 bucks.

I enjoyed the Swedes and hope next years is bigger and better.

That's the wonderful thing about art Stephen, if you don't like it, don't view it. But don't be pissy about it and try to ruin it for everyone else. And I plan on cranking out as many swedes as I can just so you'll be happy. And like I said, I want to do this cause I enjoy it. Honestly I could give a rat's ass if anyone else did. But thankfully I've gotten some wonderful comments and some great pointers on how to make my next one that much better.

Way to support people who were afraid of getting into film and thought this was the perfect way for them to get started.

I think wet towel said it best:

"More Swedes, less snobs"

I just think it's cool when local filmmakers actually have entries in a local film festival. I mean, that's what's it about, right? We're not going to produce an Oscar winner from our pool but maybe this is the spark that a 5th grader needs to become an awesome filmmaker down the road.

Is a film that some 5th graders produce not a film simply because they're 5th graders? I'd love to see what a 5th grade Bryan Harley was making. And I'm certainly not going to crap on it. If you go to a swede festival expecting Citizen Kane, your probably going be disappointed. Unless it's a sweded version of Citizen Kane. (Ohh...gotta write that one down for next time!)

And don't worry Stephen, we got some "real" films coming down the pipeline, too ;)

I'm just bummed that swedetube.com is not availble...

..steph...

-hate to twist the knife here, bubby, but that does seem to be what the Lord's put us in each other's world for...

Now, correct me if I'm wrong:

A swede is a retelling and recasting of an established film, scene (whatever,) for the love of the origional.

---is it good? is it well done?
Who cares?!,
it's a good time,
it's a tribute,
and, though it may be Wagner played on a kazoo,
---it is highpraise and should be well taken and enjoyed for what it is.

...now...

I CLEARLY remember setting up your venue with you (which I greatly enjoyed, btw,)
for Rogue '07 and you had on 'Styx.'
--Not loved by all,
---but known by all, and most DEFINITELY loved by me (and you...)

---Only THIS was 'Styx,' with the orig. lead NO WHERE in sight,
and the guy from 'Collective Soul' or something handling vocal duties (when James Young was not slaughtering them (per usual.)
-and-

(AND!)

I believe it was an album of COVERTUNES at THAT...
And that stuff was CRANKED and on repeat...

Now, if 'Styx,'
lead by some guy who sounds nothing like 'Styx,' singing covertunes...

-ain't a swede? My friend?

(than nothing is...)

(and you loved it,
you did - you did,
you loved -loved it, LOVED it,

and we sat there like two gerbils with our whiskers twitching a mile a minute hearing 'Styx,' for the first time since, like, freakin highschool... and
it
was
fun...)

(...um, even though, bro,
it sounded nothing like STYX, and I secretly had to go out and play 'Paradise Theatre,' repeatedly,
-and slam my head against the dashboard five or six times just to get what we were playing in the venue out of my ears...)

But you liked it, I thought it was cool, and THAT was all that mattered (and I will treasure that moment in my heart forever... (don't ruin it for me...)

(you're INTO swedes, friend...
yes you are...
we put pods in your basement looooooong ago...)

-bubye!-
(blink-blink)

luv-ya

E

Don't get me wrong, boys and, um, boys.

I'm not hating on those who like Swedes, and I'm never hating on someone who makes ANYthing on film, even a fifth grader.

It's just that I was doing stuff like Swedes years and years ago and my friends and I would just laugh! My friends and I. I ran into an oldie just a month ago, and I sorta nostalgically watched...and then got bored of my own stuff. It was fun and now it's done.

Like Swedes will be. They will, I predict, be relegated back to the 'let's make this and make our friends LAUGH' pile within a coupla years.

And WetTowel, my obsession with all things Styx isn't a Swede, it's a mental disturbance. Swedes were made this year for people to see at a festival. Styx was playing to keep my mind off putting up plastic with duct tape, and was only foisted upon others cuz you were nice enough to be there. I wouldn't dare play that covercrap CD for the public. It's for me alone...

I highly encourage anyone to make films, tho! But recognize the audience might not be huge for too long. There's nothing wrong with making fun stuff for your friends to enjoy, tho!