Dailies: Dogme.AughtSix
Project Manifesto

Films Due Date: November 27 th, 2006
Rough Cut Screening: November 14 th, 2006
Projected Screenings: December & January
Point Producers: Adam K Thompson
Co-producers: Nikki Hansen, Lucius Williams
Contact: adamkthompson (at) gmail.com

Dogme.AughtSix is a reworking of the Dogme95 manifesto designed to eliminate gimmick and spectacle from the contemporary short film and focus on story and character in hopes of inspiring true emotion.

In Copenhagen during the Spring of 1995, Lars Von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg sat down to write a manifesto that could revive the cinema. They sought a way to compel filmmakers to find the truth in the moment by centering the production on the actor. The wryly written manifesto lead to a movement called Dogme95. Contemporary short films suffer from many of the same "tendencies" as the Hollywood films the two Danes so detest. Young filmmakers are in search of the gimmick that will make them famous, if only on the internet. Dogme.AughtSix, often pulling directly from Dogme95, strives to produce authentic films, but where Dogme95 eschews the personality of the director in favor of ultimate truth, Dogme.AughtSix only strives to eliminate the distraction of technology and spectacle so that a filmmaker can find a voice as a director of actors.

Dailies: Dogme.AughtSix - VOW OF CHASTITY
I swear to submit to the following set of rules drawn up and confirmed by Dailies:
1) Shooting must be done at one location. Sets must not be brought in.
2) The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. (Music must not be used unless it occurs where the scene is being shot).
3) The aspect ratio of the finished film must be the same as it was shot.
4) Special lighting is not acceptable. Practical lights, the sun, and a bounce board are your only instruments.
5) Optical work and filters are forbidden - including any post effects and color correction.
6) The film must not contain superficial action. (Murders, weapons, etc. must not occur.)
7) Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden. (That is to say that the film takes place here and now.)
8) Genre movies are not acceptable.
9) Films must be between 12 and 18 minutes.
10) The director cannot be the camera operator.

Furthermore I swear as a director to refrain from spectacle! I am a storyteller. I swear to refrain from creating a gimmick, as I regard story more important than kitsch. My supreme goal is to inspire honest emotion in my actors and audience. I swear to do so by all the means available and at the cost of any humor and any popular viability.
Thus I make my VOW OF CHASTITY.

Dogme.AughtSix… Why and How

The State of Contemporary Short Film
It’s become a matter of thought that short films must be very short, clever, and have a twist, be a parody, or just a display of special effects. Often time, one joke is run into the ground during the course of the film. And since it’s just a short, little care is taken to craft a story, so the joke is the story. That’s not to say all short films fall into this thought by any means, but the internet has allowed this type of film to thrive. A link to a five-minute joke can be passed around the world and be seen by tens-of-thousands of people because no one has to invest any time or though into it. A break between adding charts to the annual sales report and fixing a copier jam can easily be filled with a little piece of humor. So, this is also not to say that there is anything wrong with this type of short film in itself.

The problem arises when a person new to filmmaking starts this way and gets a lot of credit for being funny and talent. Then there is little reason to develop as a director. Since story, acting, and often technical ability is no longer a concern. There is an endless supply of material to parody just in the news and politics. And as redundant as it sounds, anyone can make short film now with a cheap consumer camcorder and a computer. That leads to a lot of crap being spread around the world.

With this being the case, even talented and capable filmmakers find some pressure to follow the format in order to be viable, and to make it into film festivals or onto the front page of a website. What would happen if every new filmmaker fell into this mold? One may say that’s a ridiculous notion, but with current trends like the spread of reality television to every market, it’s hard to ignore.

Short filmmakers become feature filmmakers and if the short films aren’t used to hone the craft of storytelling, then finding a movie outside the Hollywood mold might become a nigh impossibility if not checked.

What Dogme.AughtSix Does
Dogme.AughtSix is offered as a tool for filmmakers to add focus to their creative work. By eliminating the ability to create a gimmick or add any form of spectacle to a film, a filmmaker must focus on the story and characters to be the source of interest. This focus is amplified by taking away many of the technical tools used to create with. There are no lighting setups to worry about and no effects shots to get right. Designing a set or convincing the audience that movie world operates different from the real world isn’t a concern. The directing of the actor is allowed to be the main concern on set.

The Dogme.AughtSix process also allows a filmmaker to write within his/her means. The rules make it very difficult to design a film that can’t be made with limited funds and tools. The process also allows the means and time to do things right on set and not rely on post fixes. While it may be a little counter intuitive to force the filmmaker to focus on getting the shot right in the camera if the acting and story are the concern, it can only result in a more cohesive film and help the story become the highlight.

How that Differs from Dogme95
The rules of Dogme95 were designed to give the actor the most freedom and the most natural environment to work in so that truth can be discovered in the moment. The director is not to get in the way. He is refused the title of artist. This style of filmmaking encourages improvisation and whatever is necessary for the moment.

The rules of Dogme.AughtSix, while similar to those of Dogme95, place the director in the position to discover. While improvisation on set it not denied, the truth of the story should be decided before the shoot begins, in the writing, script research, and rehearsal. The intention is that with these parameters to work in, the director will discover and assert his voice as he is allowed to work with actors in a clear, engaging environment.

The Spirit of the Project
For this process, it is important to understand that this is not the time to try and break the rules. While there is plenty of room for interpretation of the Vow of Chastity, the thought – follow the spirit of the law not the law – proves to be correct here.

For more information about Dogme95 and the spirit of it and Dogme.AughtSix: www.dogme95.dk

How it Will Happen

Filmmakers Involved
There will be ten films in the Dogme.AughtSix project. All filmmakers are welcome, but participants should be committed to showing up to all the workshops and the rough cut screening, completing their films on time, and being involved in the discussion.

If more than ten directors are interested in making films then the decision of who will be a part of the project will be made by the point producer with preference given to those who inquired first and those known to be responsible.

Anyone one who doesn’t get one of the ten slots is still encouraged to participate in the discussion and the production. And directors are encouraged to look within the Dailies community of filmmakers to build their team of crew and cast. This will be a great opportunity for filmmakers to try their hand at different crew positions (producer, assistant director, grip, director of photography, etc.), especially since directors are not allowed to operate the camera.

Due Date
The completed Dogme.AughtSix films will be due November 28 th. This is a hard date and filmmakers should not participate in the project if completing films by this point will be a problem.

Tuesday, November 28 th, 7p, Manual’s Tavern

The Screening
The ten 12 to 15 minute Dogme.AughtSix films should constitute an hour-and-a-half to two-and-a- half hour screening. The proposed screening dates are early to mid December with additional dates in January.

Workshops
There will be three workshops for this project. All involved directors should be committed to attending all three workshops.

All Dailies filmmakers are invited, and encouraged, to attend the second and third workshops at a cost on a sliding scale of $5 - $15.

The first workshop will be a writing workshop that will simply offer an opportunity for the filmmakers to discuss their stories with the other filmmakers in a moderated forum with an interest placed on how the scripts allow for the Dogme.AughtSix Vow of Chastity.

- Each film’s writer should also attend (at no cost), and at least a first draft from each filmmaker should be available.
- Sunday, October 1 st, 1-4p, PushPush Theater

The second workshop will focus on directing actors and will be led by Tim Habeger.

- Each film’s director is expected to attend (at no cost), and at least a second draft from each involved filmmaker should be available.
- Saturday, October 14 st, 1-4p, PushPush Theater

The third workshop will look at how to use available light in filmmaking and will be led by a professional technician.

- Each film’s director of photography or camera operator should also attend (at no cost).
- Saturday, October 21 st, 1-3p, PushPush Theater

Rough Cut Screening
Each director should have something ready to be screened at the November 14 th rough cut screening. This will be an opportunity for the involved filmmakers to critique each others films before a final cut is due.

Tuesday, November 14 th, 7-10p, PushPush Theater

Discussion
The discussion will be on going and, outside of the workshops and rough cut screening, will exist mainly on the Dailies web forums and email. All Dailies filmmakers are encouraged to participate in the online discussion, whether they are involved in a project or not.

Each director is also encouraged to start the discussion early with their team of crew and a cast, and to continue it throughout the project.

http://www.dailiesatlanta.org/forum

Marketing
Beside the usual outlets available through the Dailies Board and PushPush Theater, flyers will be prepared and photocopied (with support from PushPush) so that they can be distributed at least 2 weeks prior to the screenings.

An effort will also be make to contact campus organizations at Atlanta universities to further market the Dogme.AughtSix project and Dailies (Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Emory, Atlanta University Center, Art Institute of Atlanta, Agnes Scott, SCAD).